Divine Rest

Long Island, Bahamas

During the month of July I experienced a lot of turbulence in my inner world. I wanted results, movement, answers, change. But God wanted me to experience His rest. I wanted to know what was next and how and when I would get to that 'next'. But God just wanted me to rest and experience His love for me. I thought God was being mean and punishing me for something I did, or didn't do. In actuality, He was trying to get me to understand His immeasurable love for me. 

God wants me to stop striving, stop trying to earn love, His or anybody else's. He wants me to rest in the knowledge that He loves me with an unconditional, indescribable, never ending love. In my head I know this, because I read it in His word and I believe His word to be Truth. But often times, that same Truth that I can so eloquently profess with my mouth, I don't believe deep down in my heart. And it shows in how I live.

When I live in doubt and fear, I realize that I am not living out of the Truth that God loves me, He has an expected end for me, and it is His good pleasure to take care of me because I am His and He is mine.

Divine rest means that I don't struggle within myself or with others because I am resting in the knowledge that MY God will never leave me nor forsake me. Mother and father may forsake me, but not my BIG DADDY, He will always be for me and with me.

Divine rest means I am trusting in the One who will never let me down. The arms of flesh will fail me, but not the arms of my Heavenly Father. So I can trust in Lord with all my heart, and lean not to my own understanding.

Divine rest means I know that I know that I know that even when I doubt God and let Him down, He is faithful and will honour that which He set out to do in and through my life. For He knows the plans He has for me and they are good plans.

Despite my doubt and despair, God continues to minister to me through scripture, songs, preached word, nature, people, and circumstances. I am constantly reminded that no matter what it looks like or feels like, God is an ever-present help and refuge. Whether I feel Him with me or not, He is there.

Divine rest is not about being idle, it is about moving steadily along the path already laid out for me, whether I can see the path with my natural eyes or not.

I love the Lord because He first loved me. I will take my rest in Him and walk in favour with Him as He leads me to my expected end.