Resting in an Open 24 hrs world...
I love sleep. You wouldn’t know it by my sleeping habits though. I have always had abnormal sleeping habits. Even when I was a baby, my parents like to tell the story of how for the first year of my little life, I cried EVERY NIGHT for a year. It wasn’t until I was a year old that I slept a whole night. Not much has changed really. I still have weird sleeping habits, but I have come to realize that I runs’ in my family,and I can a lot done at 4am…so I guess that’s my excuse.
My best friend on the other hand is what I like to call a “normal” sleeper. I do not entirely understand her ways…lol. We joke all the time about how my husband is going to have to be just as abnormal a sleeper as me, or just be someone who an all nighter and 3am epiphanies don’t bother him. Jai on the other hand, I joke, will have to have a husband who doesn’t move when he sleeps since she is such a light sleeper and doesn’t do well when someone is in the same bed as her. She always says that sleeping in the same bed with her husband will be the biggest adjustment to being married...haha. But all joking aside, when I do sleep/rest, I LOVE IT!
But how often when we think of resting do we think Jesus? Jesus Christ is our rest. Rest is the word on my heart today.That word is so foreign I in our society today. Rest…What’s that? Even this morning I was up early enough to catch about 15 min of Joyce Meyers and this was one of things she was talking about. We need to learn to stop long enough and rest so we can really discern what the Lord is saying.
I can be the worst at this. I can have the tendency…and I’m sure I’m the only one…to push things down and ignore that they are there. When in reality, God wants us to let those things come to the surface before His throne of grace, and repent and move forward with Him.
“Repent, then, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” (Acts 3:19)
I remember the first time I read that verse. I cried over it in the back seat of my car in the garage. At the time I needed a GOOD CRY…girls know what I’m talking about, and I didn’t want to have to explain myself. I knew if I did cry in my room someone would come in, so I went to my car…that is my sanctuary sometimes! I needed a time of refreshing during a particular season and that verse was my prayer; even this morning, its’ my prayer again.
God calls us to rest in Him; to lay it all down before Him (Ps 62:80). There is nothing quite like coming in after a long day and falling onto your bed, or getting into a comfy pair of sweats. Something about getting in your bed, lying on the couch, or putting your favorite pair of sweat/PJ on makes all the worries of the day go away. Jesus is the comfort to our weary souls, and even in our joys, and triumphs, He’s the one we can fall into. I have had moments when I couldn’t be giddy with anyone else about something but God. Be giddy before God if you need to, rest in Him.
“Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders.” (Deut 33:12)
What a beautiful visual. “…between his shoulders.” What a picture of pure strength. As a woman there isn’t a more comforting place to be. A place I can, just…be! To just be held, there is nothing better. We have to learn to let go! Lay your head on the Lord’s chest and just be! What sparked this whole thought today was when I read (Mark 6:30-32) yesterday. See if what the disciples said sounds familiar.
"The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. 31Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." –Emphasis mine-
Now…how many times have you and I said at some point in our lives “I did not even have the chance…?”More times than I can count; at least for me. But what did Jesus tell them to do? To “come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”Jesus is calling us to rest in Him! It’s easy to get caught up in “life” but how can we do anything well, or to His glory if we are not resting, really resting in Him?
[Story of Martha and Mary: Luke 10:38-41]
"As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. 40But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" 41"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, 42but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."
I am Martha more than I like to admit. I have my moments when I am Mary, and I desire to be more like her. To be found at the feet of Jesus. There is a time to get things done, and there is are times when we need to just sit at the feet of Jesus!
Ps 91:1
“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.”
For some reason the word shadow makes me think of shade. It might be because of the HOT weather we’ve be havin’ here in Atlanta. Let’s just say that Atlanta is living up to the nickname HOTLANTA these days. I’m missing the 19 degree weather of January if you can believe it. In Christ we can find shade and covering from the heat of life.
Life can be crazy, busy, beautiful, hard, and great. Life has its valleys’, mountain tops, and plato seasons, but in all of it we will be much happier and full of joy in we would just rest. We weren’t meant to carry the stuff we do. We weren’t designed to take on this world alone. When we rest in Jesus, in the day to day things, unexpected turns ,and even expected joys and blessings, we have peace. This whole idea goes against everything the world tells us. But…we are not called to listen and live by the world are we? We are called to listen to the voice of our loving Father and walk in obedience. We are better for it when we do!!
I’ll close with this: Jesus’ words to us (Matt 11: 28:32) “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
And I won’t be me if I didn’t give you a song of praise to walk away with as well! One of things I love is God always reminds me of song, that fits perfectly with whatever he’s teaching me! He knows me so well!!! He knows I need a song to sing! “Wrapped in your arms I’m home” FireFlight
My best friend on the other hand is what I like to call a “normal” sleeper. I do not entirely understand her ways…lol. We joke all the time about how my husband is going to have to be just as abnormal a sleeper as me, or just be someone who an all nighter and 3am epiphanies don’t bother him. Jai on the other hand, I joke, will have to have a husband who doesn’t move when he sleeps since she is such a light sleeper and doesn’t do well when someone is in the same bed as her. She always says that sleeping in the same bed with her husband will be the biggest adjustment to being married...haha. But all joking aside, when I do sleep/rest, I LOVE IT!
But how often when we think of resting do we think Jesus? Jesus Christ is our rest. Rest is the word on my heart today.That word is so foreign I in our society today. Rest…What’s that? Even this morning I was up early enough to catch about 15 min of Joyce Meyers and this was one of things she was talking about. We need to learn to stop long enough and rest so we can really discern what the Lord is saying.
I can be the worst at this. I can have the tendency…and I’m sure I’m the only one…to push things down and ignore that they are there. When in reality, God wants us to let those things come to the surface before His throne of grace, and repent and move forward with Him.
“Repent, then, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” (Acts 3:19)
I remember the first time I read that verse. I cried over it in the back seat of my car in the garage. At the time I needed a GOOD CRY…girls know what I’m talking about, and I didn’t want to have to explain myself. I knew if I did cry in my room someone would come in, so I went to my car…that is my sanctuary sometimes! I needed a time of refreshing during a particular season and that verse was my prayer; even this morning, its’ my prayer again.
God calls us to rest in Him; to lay it all down before Him (Ps 62:80). There is nothing quite like coming in after a long day and falling onto your bed, or getting into a comfy pair of sweats. Something about getting in your bed, lying on the couch, or putting your favorite pair of sweat/PJ on makes all the worries of the day go away. Jesus is the comfort to our weary souls, and even in our joys, and triumphs, He’s the one we can fall into. I have had moments when I couldn’t be giddy with anyone else about something but God. Be giddy before God if you need to, rest in Him.
“Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders.” (Deut 33:12)
What a beautiful visual. “…between his shoulders.” What a picture of pure strength. As a woman there isn’t a more comforting place to be. A place I can, just…be! To just be held, there is nothing better. We have to learn to let go! Lay your head on the Lord’s chest and just be! What sparked this whole thought today was when I read (Mark 6:30-32) yesterday. See if what the disciples said sounds familiar.
"The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. 31Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." –Emphasis mine-
Now…how many times have you and I said at some point in our lives “I did not even have the chance…?”More times than I can count; at least for me. But what did Jesus tell them to do? To “come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”Jesus is calling us to rest in Him! It’s easy to get caught up in “life” but how can we do anything well, or to His glory if we are not resting, really resting in Him?
[Story of Martha and Mary: Luke 10:38-41]
"As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. 40But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" 41"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, 42but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."
I am Martha more than I like to admit. I have my moments when I am Mary, and I desire to be more like her. To be found at the feet of Jesus. There is a time to get things done, and there is are times when we need to just sit at the feet of Jesus!
Ps 91:1
“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.”
For some reason the word shadow makes me think of shade. It might be because of the HOT weather we’ve be havin’ here in Atlanta. Let’s just say that Atlanta is living up to the nickname HOTLANTA these days. I’m missing the 19 degree weather of January if you can believe it. In Christ we can find shade and covering from the heat of life.
Life can be crazy, busy, beautiful, hard, and great. Life has its valleys’, mountain tops, and plato seasons, but in all of it we will be much happier and full of joy in we would just rest. We weren’t meant to carry the stuff we do. We weren’t designed to take on this world alone. When we rest in Jesus, in the day to day things, unexpected turns ,and even expected joys and blessings, we have peace. This whole idea goes against everything the world tells us. But…we are not called to listen and live by the world are we? We are called to listen to the voice of our loving Father and walk in obedience. We are better for it when we do!!
I’ll close with this: Jesus’ words to us (Matt 11: 28:32) “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
And I won’t be me if I didn’t give you a song of praise to walk away with as well! One of things I love is God always reminds me of song, that fits perfectly with whatever he’s teaching me! He knows me so well!!! He knows I need a song to sing! “Wrapped in your arms I’m home” FireFlight
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