Category: Rest

Ancient Path

12/10/2012

As Christmas gets ever closer, we are inundated with sales fliers, marketing emails and television commercials about the latest, greatest and most updated version of myriads of things that are “only on sale for a limited time and just in time for the holidays” as the retail industry strives to end the calendar year well in the black.  Each advertisement shows beautiful, shining pictures of things in such a way that we begin to believe that we cannot live another moment without buying them. Toys that were played with in our youth (or, dare I say, by our parents and grandparents in their youth) have been re-released with a new updated look to either the item itself or to its packaging, or both.   The electronic devices – along with their many attachments - are clamored for by children young and old. And
for the adults, how did we ever live without the latest gizmos and gadgets that have been specifically designed to save us time yet usually only succeed in draining us of our hard-earned cash?   It’s enough to make your head spin.

Being enticed by the ‘latest and greatest’ is not something new.  Nearly from the beginning of mankind’s life on earth, he has been tempted by Satan to go his own way by some new idea or thing.   (Remember when Adam and Eve ate the fruit that was forbidden? See Genesis 3:6) And ever since mankind gave into temptation and fell out of right relationship with God, he has searched high and low for more new and improved ways to restore that relationship.

Jeremiah 6:16 “This is what the Lord says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.”

What is this ancient way? It is the oldest, truest way God has given to mankind when He afforded him the choice to obey Him and trust that He would protect and provide for him, or else reject God’s way and go off on his own misguided course.   Sadly, the wrong path was chosen.  To follow God’s right path for living was, and is, the only way to find peace and rest for the soul that we so long for.

So how do we get back onto this ancient path?

John 14:6 “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”

There is no ‘new and improved’way to reach God. He still requires that we make a willing choice to trust Him in the provision He has made for us. And that provision to right relationship with Him is through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Which way will you choose? He’s waiting for you.

(For more information about forming a relationship with the Lord, see How
You Can Find Him located at the top of this page.)

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Coming Apart

10/27/2012

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A friend of mine and I used to have ‘come apart’ weekends. Usually taken once a month, these weekends were designed to, as she and I would say, “come apart before you come apart.”

Too often, the busyness in our respective corner of the world prevented this from happening as frequently as was needed. Many times when she and I would talk about all the craziness that was going on in life, it wasn’t long before one of us would verbalize the need for the other one to have a ‘come apart’ weekend.  Once the ‘ah-ah’ moment came and the necessity acknowledged, one was scheduled as soon as possible.

What does ‘come apart’ mean? In this case, the individual would purposefully remove his/herself from all of the craziness of everyday society, including interaction with people whether via the computer, in person, or on the telephone so he/she could spend concentrated periods in prayer and quiet contemplation. It was not uncommon
for a ‘come apart’ session to also include complete silence when no word was
spoken for the duration of this season.  Setting oneself apart from the bustling activity of the world within the confines of this haven that is filled with stillness, quietness and communion with the Father allows the mind, the spirit, as well as the body, to rest. At the end of this period of seclusion, the world could once again be entered with renewed energy and greater clarity.

Jesus acts as our example for this ‘come apart’ time.

Mark 1:35 “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place where he prayed.”

Luke 4:42 “At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place.”

Luke 6:12 “One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.”

While a weekend is not necessarily the prescribed amount of time in these passages, it is understood here that Jesus – who was consistently pressed in by the crowds that followed Him wherever He went - removed Himself from the demands of His daily world while He prayed alone to the Father for as long as was needed in order for Him to rest and be renewed by the Father’s presence.  Once this was accomplished,
He could re-enter the world and interact successfully with those whose lives He
came to impact. Can we expect our need to be any less than Christ’s?   Indeed, as humans, we can expect our need to spend ‘come apart’ time with the Father to be even greater.

While it’s not feasible in the hectic pace of our word for one day, let alone two, to be set aside for this ‘come apart’ time, it is nevertheless vital for some span of time to be
dedicated each day to spend with the Father away from the world so that we, too,
can be successful in the life He longs to give us.

Matthew 11:28-30 “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.”

Do you feel yourself coming apart? Come apart before you come apart. He’s waiting for you.

(For more information about forming a relationship with the Lord, see How You
Can Find Him located at the top of this page.)

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The Beans Can Wait

10/3/2012

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Like many in my generation, I grew up watching The Waltons.  Those heart-warming episodes captured both the love and the challenges this large family faced during the post-depression years.  Many of life’s lessons as portrayed in those episodes are memorable, yet one in particular still stands out in my mind.

Olivia Walton (Mama to her seven children), who was supposed to be working alongside Grandma to do the daily chores for their large household, instead of helping to snap the beans for supper that evening, had stepped out onto the porch.  Grandma found her there after awhile just sitting and inquired if she was feeling alright. Olivia let her know she was fine and just needed to sit for a while.  The beans would have to wait for a bit.

We have all had days like that when we have felt inundated by too many consecutive days filled to overflowing with things that need to get done. The days blur together and before we know it, weeks (or months) have passed by and we cannot remember when we last took any time to simply sit for a while. This takes its toll on us on the physical, the emotional, as well as the spiritual level.  The more we ‘press on’ in our work without taking time to restore our depleted fuel levels, the thinner our tolerance gets for others, for our environment, and for ourselves. Exhaustion sets in and, if we aren’t mindful, despair soon follows.

So what are we to do?   How can we get the rest we need when our calendars are already double- and triple-filled with appointments, chores and obligations?

Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

One of the meanings for ‘rest’ in this verse means be refreshed. And who of us could not use some refreshing?

Jesus paints us a beautiful picture of the best way for us to get refreshed.  In the second half of Mark 6:31 he says, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

This invitation spoken to His disciples is the same invitation He extends to His children today.
Go into your quiet place – your prayer closet, a corner of the yard, onto the pile of dirty clothes in the laundry room or anywhere else you can get alone - and spend some time with Him.  There’s no prescribed amount of time you should spend there with Him, yet once you make the effort to experience it, you will find that it is just the kind of refreshing, energizing rest that you need.

Go ahead.  He’s waiting for you. The beans can wait.

(For more information about forming a relationship with the Lord, see How You Can Find Him located at the top of this page.)

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PREPARATIONS

9/4/2012

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As we traveled to our vacation home for the last long weekend of the summer, there was both anticipation for the much-deserved, much-needed rest, and also the weighted feeling of the ‘have to’ list of things that would need doing before that rest could occur.

I thought back to the historical tales of early 20th century England when
a household containing servants was normal in certain societies.  For those families who had more than one house, it was common practice for servants to be sent ahead to open up and prepare the house for occupancy by the master, mistress, and family upon their arrival.  How lovely it would be to have someone go before us to prepare our weekend retreat so that we only had to concentrate on relaxing and resting.

While we do not have servants, we, as children of God, do have someone with a servant’s heart to go before us in preparation for both our near future…..

Deuteronomy 31:8 “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Exodus 23:20 “See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.”

…and our distant future.

John 14:2-3 “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

He also promises to give us true rest.

Matthew 11:28-30 “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.”

Do you feel as if you have nothing to look forward to?  Are you in need of rest? He’s waiting to give you both.

(For more information about forming a relationship with the Lord, see How You Can Find Him located at the top of this
page.)

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Ancient Path

Coming Apart

The Beans Can Wait

PREPARATIONS

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