RESTING:  BANE OR BLESSING?

“He maketh me to lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul.” (Psalm 23:2-3, NIV)

Just listening to the words of this verse as I type it (and repeat it in my mind), gives me rest.  Resting is not one of my favorite pastimes.  Personally, I would rather be busy doing something instead of doing nothing.  However, God has not given me a choice in the matter.  I can either rest or pay the consequences, which are sometimes severe!

In his book, Dancin’ Toward the Dawn, Tim Hansel says, “Resting in God is just a matter of being with the Father.  Sometimes we are called just to relax and do nothing.  Just let go.  Rest in Him and let go.  We don’t have to have an agenda.”[1]  One thing I would add to his quote is that we don’t have to do anything to be loved by God.  He loves us unconditionally as His children.  Any other requirement would be salvation by works.  As Ephesians 2:8-9 states, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.”  We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone!

I have an easier time resting when I think about Psalm 23:2.  “He maketh me” tells me that sometimes God makes me rest for my own good.  It is not my choice; I am not in control, He is.  Through Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome or “CFIDS”, God has taught me more about resting in Him and submitting to His will.  God is in control – He is the Potter and I am the clay (Romans 9:20-21).  Though I may not like God’s method of molding me, He has a purpose in it that I can’t always see, and I must trust Him and learn to rest in Him.  I have to continually remind myself that God makes me rest for my own benefit, not to punish me!

The next time you are forced to rest when you would rather not, try meditating on Psalm 23 and use that time to commune with our Heavenly Father and to build a deeper and stronger relationship with Him.

Dear Jesus – Thank You for making us rest.  We need these times to be refreshed, restored and to commune with You.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.