Rest

All my devotional readings this morning had to do with rest!

Is the Lord trying to tell me something? Is he about to speak to you?

Rest: Cease work or movement in order to relax, refresh oneself, or recover strength. An instant or period of relaxing or ceasing to engage in strenuous or stressful activity. Oxford Languages

I have a tough time sitting still. If I’m not driving on a car trip, I’m like a squirming toddler. I read, but between segments or chapters, I’m up doing something. My mind wanders, so if I attempt to sit and pray and try and tune in, it’s a battle of the mind and will.

My initial thought was to study scriptures on rest until I came across this gem in Jeremiah! I came across it, she grins, the Lord led me there!

Jeremiah 6:16 ESV “Thus says the Lord: ‘Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.”

What stopped me was, ‘Ask for the ancient paths.’

I love this; it stopped me and blew me in another direction! We’ve all heard and have probably used the term, ‘Hindsight is 20/20.’

Here’s another translation of the same verse written in a different voice that I also love.

Jeremiah 6:16 NLT “This is what the Lord says: Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path and you will find rest for your souls. But you reply, ‘No, that’s not the road we want.”

We encounter crossroads daily, and it’s up to us to choose our path! Do you take a moment to think about the good and bad? Possibly, have I been here before, and how did that turn out? Or, do you dive right in because it looks fun, inviting, beautiful, just what you always wanted, absolutely perfect, neglecting the probable outcome?

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly but expecting different results! Does your world feel like a merry-go-round? Might you be on a familiar path and thinking I don’t want to do this again , or worse yet, I don’t want to walk here anymore, but the Ancient of Days says otherwise!

The next section of that Scripture is ‘Where the good way is, walk in it and find rest for your souls.”

The Bible is one of the continual writings of men and women just like you and me; we can read and learn from their lives, mistakes, and victories.

The accounts of those who chose the rest, protection, provision, and direction of God and those who exclaimed, “We will not walk in it.”

Choosing to follow Jesus and his way isn’t always easy as his way goes directly opposite of the world’s, but take it from one who has often not walked in his way to have learned how to stand at a crossroads and ask: “The Ancient of Way to show me his path and his rest!”

Psalm 4:8 ESV: “In peace, I will lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”

Exodus 33:14 ESV “And he said, ‘My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Be blessed and May You Find Rest Today! 😌