Entering that Rest
"Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest."
Hebrews 4:11
I rolled down the window in the back seat and let the cool fall breeze whirl the hair around my face. It was almost too chilly, but I didn't mind the goose bumps because I liked the feeling of freedom the wind brought as it twirled around me. I hung my arm out the side of the car and admired the brilliant fall colors of the Ozark mountains. As the little bumby dirt road weaved in and out of the saddles in the hills, every corner revealed a new angle of beauty that took my breath away. The dips and folds in the mountains were like wrinkles in a giant autumn curtain, and the sky contrasted a deep and pure blue. I felt like rolling up the window would fade the glorious colors or block my unspoiled vision of the beauty of fall.
The nature that surrounded me was so untouched, so vibrant with life, so still and majestic. I love the weekends like these when I go backpacking in the wilderness. I leave my cellphone and ipod in the car. I don't even wear a watch. There are no schedules, no deadlines, no appointments, no requiremements. During the week, my mind runs at one hundred miles an hour, striving to complete assignments, remember tasks, and balance the little time that I have. But here, amidst God's awe-inspiring creativity, I enjoy a weekend full of the beauty of stillness and silence.
It is after weekends like these that I realize the importance of rest. Being in the middle of God's creation reminds me that God formed everything with His fingers, yet He also made time to rest. God created the whole world for me to enjoy and explore, but He also created the wonderful gift of rest. That same gift of peaceful, restorative rest is also available to me. When my schedule gets too busy, my burden too heavy, or my thoughts too preoccupied, God's arms are a welcoming place of rest and restoration. When I get bogged down, overwhlemed, or stressed out, it is in the silence and stillness that God speaks.
As I was backpacking this weekend, I realized how much I need stillness and silence in my daily schedule. It is only when I quit talking and filling my day with noise that I can truly observe the beauty around me. It is only when I stop running a million miles every day that I can enjoy God's creativity and presence in my life. Maybe instead of waiting for the weekend to relax, I should start "making every effort to enter that rest." Maybe if I would slow down and roll down the window, I could better stand in awe of God's beauty that surrounds me every day. Maybe if I would turn off the tevelsion, silence my cellphone, or shut down the computer for just a few moments each day, I could better see the brilliant glory of God. There are beautiful fall colors and blue skies around me all the time if I would be silent, be still, and know that He is God.
The art of rest is a difficult one, but not impossible with the help of the Lord. He is the author and initiator of rest, and He rewards those who seek it. Let us "make every effort to enter that rest," and let God astound us with the marvelous display of His beauty: His voice in the quiet, His peace in the stillness, and His presence in our times of rest.
Hebrews 4:11
I rolled down the window in the back seat and let the cool fall breeze whirl the hair around my face. It was almost too chilly, but I didn't mind the goose bumps because I liked the feeling of freedom the wind brought as it twirled around me. I hung my arm out the side of the car and admired the brilliant fall colors of the Ozark mountains. As the little bumby dirt road weaved in and out of the saddles in the hills, every corner revealed a new angle of beauty that took my breath away. The dips and folds in the mountains were like wrinkles in a giant autumn curtain, and the sky contrasted a deep and pure blue. I felt like rolling up the window would fade the glorious colors or block my unspoiled vision of the beauty of fall.
The nature that surrounded me was so untouched, so vibrant with life, so still and majestic. I love the weekends like these when I go backpacking in the wilderness. I leave my cellphone and ipod in the car. I don't even wear a watch. There are no schedules, no deadlines, no appointments, no requiremements. During the week, my mind runs at one hundred miles an hour, striving to complete assignments, remember tasks, and balance the little time that I have. But here, amidst God's awe-inspiring creativity, I enjoy a weekend full of the beauty of stillness and silence.
It is after weekends like these that I realize the importance of rest. Being in the middle of God's creation reminds me that God formed everything with His fingers, yet He also made time to rest. God created the whole world for me to enjoy and explore, but He also created the wonderful gift of rest. That same gift of peaceful, restorative rest is also available to me. When my schedule gets too busy, my burden too heavy, or my thoughts too preoccupied, God's arms are a welcoming place of rest and restoration. When I get bogged down, overwhlemed, or stressed out, it is in the silence and stillness that God speaks.
As I was backpacking this weekend, I realized how much I need stillness and silence in my daily schedule. It is only when I quit talking and filling my day with noise that I can truly observe the beauty around me. It is only when I stop running a million miles every day that I can enjoy God's creativity and presence in my life. Maybe instead of waiting for the weekend to relax, I should start "making every effort to enter that rest." Maybe if I would slow down and roll down the window, I could better stand in awe of God's beauty that surrounds me every day. Maybe if I would turn off the tevelsion, silence my cellphone, or shut down the computer for just a few moments each day, I could better see the brilliant glory of God. There are beautiful fall colors and blue skies around me all the time if I would be silent, be still, and know that He is God.
The art of rest is a difficult one, but not impossible with the help of the Lord. He is the author and initiator of rest, and He rewards those who seek it. Let us "make every effort to enter that rest," and let God astound us with the marvelous display of His beauty: His voice in the quiet, His peace in the stillness, and His presence in our times of rest.
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