This desert solitude was the storehouse of unlived years, the hush of the world at the hour of its creation. It was solemn, grand, incorruptible. It did something to one, something inexplicable; it drew one’s narrow soul from out oneself, and poured in something big, so big it was almost too great to bear.”
–Zane Grey (Captive of the Desert)
“Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.”
–Psalm 37:7 (NKJV)
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I have never been one who frets much about tomorrow. At times the devil has wanted me to do that or he will try and put fear in my mind about something possibly happening to one of the kids. Most of the time I can just wave it away, for I trust in the Lord. Now, that’s not saying that I shouldn’t look at the possibilities and be prepared should something happen, but I don’t let it disrupt my living.
I enlisted the last big year of Vietnam. Graduation was looming in front of me, and there was a desire within me to serve my country. There was that possibility that I would be sent to that dreadful place of death and destruction–Vietnam. My wife and I talked about it and we came to the conclusion that I could be killed walking across the street by a pink Volkswagon beetle. If God couldn’t keep me in Vietnam, He couldn’t keep me when I crossed the street. Now, that may be too simplistic, but there is a vital truth there–God is God no matter where, no matter the circumstance.
Much of this goes back to the training I received from my Aunt, Grandma, and church in which I was raised. We didn’t believe in hyper-faith, but daily faith. Faith that God is there with you throughout each day. Draw attention to the following verses:
“There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself ceased from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.”
–Hebrews 4:9-11 (NKJV)
I never thought about it before, but it takes diligence to rest in the Lord. We are to learn to rest in Him, not be fearful of the path ahead whether it be today or tomorrow. It seems to indicate that if we do not learn this we are apt to fall into disobedience.
What does it mean to “rest in God”? David Wilkerson defined it this way. “It is to come to a place of total trust in the Lord’s promises–a place where there is no longer any struggle of doubt or fear, but rather a settled confidence. It is a continual belief that God is with us, that he cannot fail, and that he who has called us will see us through.” “Settled confidence,” I like that. He is able, or He isn’t. I think Bill Gaither wrote a song titled, “Calm Assurance.” When we get to that point we are truly resting in the Lord.
However! Remember, the enemy of your soul doesn’t want you to rest. He wants your mind to stay in turmoil. He wants you to fret, fumble and stumble around through the day. He wants you to strike out at others with a confused, frightened, and agitated soul. Wilkerson says he will come at you by saying that you are a failure. Look at your life, you’re further away from God today than you were yesterday; you are not making any spiritual progress. He will say you are too weak. Look at yourself: you may be sick, tired, fatigued, diseased, crippled and you fail over and over again. You are just too weak to continue on following the Lord. Or he may say that because of your actions, your attitudes, and your failures that you have grieved God. He can no longer stand the sight of you. Go away… DON’T LISTEN! These are lies to make sure that your soul is not at rest in Him.
Go away today knowing that you can rest in the Lord. REST–“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.” (Jude 20-21, NKJV)