“One of my neighbors and his wife just got back from a road trip,” Stan commented one morning.
“Where’d they go?” I asked.
“Up the coast,” Stan replied. “On the old road that runs right near the ocean.”
“Oh,” I said, “that’s a beautiful drive. Did they have a good trip?”
“They did,” Stan replied, “but my neighbor told me something that happened that could have turned out badly. It didn’t thankfully, but it was something he said was a real wake-up for his faith walk.”
“What happened?” I asked.
“It seems that at one point,” Stan replied, “they had stopped for lunch. About an hour after they got back on the road, my neighbor’s wife told him that he looked kind of tired and suggested that they pull off at a rest stop.”
“Did they?”
“No,” Stan said. “My neighbor said he told his wife that he was fine and didn’t need to stop for any rest.”
“The male of the species,” I said with a smile.
“That’s right,” Stan replied. “And a few miles down the road, my neighbor nodded off just for an instant, but it was enough for his wife to see and to shout him awake. They then pulled over so she could drive while he rested.”
“Could have been a real tragedy,” I commented. “The Lord must have been watching over them.”
“That’s what my neighbor said,” Stan replied. “Further, he also said that he took the warning seriously and applied it to his faith walk.”
“In what way?”
“It’s easy to get weary in our faith walk when we are trying to do it on our own,” Stan said. “If I don’t seek the rest God has for me, if I don’t stop what I’m trying to do on my own, there’s a real danger of nodding off and running off the path God has for me.”
“We are to give it a rest,” I replied. “Is that what you’re saying?”
“Not just give it a rest,” Stan said, “but give it to God for His rest. Rest stops are there for a reason!”
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Bible verses to consider:
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Psalm 23:1-3.
Come unto Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, 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 shall find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29.
Prayer: Thank you, Father, for the rest you provide for me so I can draw ever closer to you and have the joy of your rest for all of eternity when it’s time, along with the rest for the time you keep me here before then. I confess that too often I seek rest on my terms by doing what I want to do apart from you. The result is always the same: it’s not the rest you have and intend for me. Please forgive the foolishness of seeking rest apart from you. And please, Father, help me in following every step of your lead into your perfect rest in every aspect of this life you have given me to live. Thank you I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Think on this: Have you accepted God’s free and gracious provision of rest in His presence for all of eternity when it’s time? If no, why? If you do have the assurance of salvation and redemption for when your time here is completed, how are you doing with resting in Him on this side of eternity? Do you tend to want to find rest on your own terms apart from what God has for you? If so, what is that all about? If you sense the need for change in how and what you pursue for rest, how is that change going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?
Waiting for the Train 