LHF#3: Joy + Rest = Delight

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We are living in a time of fear. People are worried. The 'what if's" abound.
With so much on our minds that pulls us away from trusting in God, we must understand the options available to us in Christ! Here's an example:

When the cares 
of my heart are many, 
Your consolations 
cheer my soul.
Psalm 94:19

Anxious thoughts piling up, causing doubt and unrest. Can you relate?
The psalmist is going somewhere with this though. He is not swallowed up by the anxieties, but is focusing on something and Someone else. There is hope where there could very well be defeat. 
Comfort from God. Delighting the soul. 
OK, now we're going to need some examples of this beautiful concept!
How is God encouraging you to the point of joy and rest in Him?


written by Gina

Comments

Nikki said…
I often find it hard to let myself rest, and when I do, for some reason, I feel guilty about it! I think partially I feel guilty to God- like, I should be running this race hard and discipling myself! But I think God's been trying to teach me that He's not a hard taskmaster but a loving Father (obviously I know this on a conscious level, but I still can have this at play in my mind under the surface). How do I want my child to be? To feel? I want her to be happy and content and safe and have a healthy balance in life and to enjoy any good things I give her. In the Old Testament with all of it's commands to obey, the ones God highlights and seems to say a lot are to love Him and to obey the Sabbath rest. Love Him and rest one day a week. What a loving God to know what we need and provide for us to rest! So, I've been trying realllly hard to stop doing work on Sundays. It's actually been incredibly hard. I messed up last Sunday and just gave in to my natural tendency to notice all the things wrong and that need to be done and feel bugged until I do them - I did laundry, dishes, other bigger cleaning chores, etc. Oops! Who knew not working is so hard!!! The weeks I truly rested I actually felt much more energized and at peace the next day/ week- noticeable so! And honestly I felt pretty grumpy after throwing myself into tasks on Sunday and had a pretty hard week (Robin was sick too which didn't help). Honestly- I think I didn't think I deserved the rest since I'd had such a low-key week social isolating. But maybe God didn't feel that way. Maybe I don't have to "earn" the rest. So- I find rest because God commands it- maybe tomorrow with His help I can stop myself. I find joy in and through that rest and through what that rest says about God's character- He loves us like treasure, like beloved children- enough to ask us to rest.
March 28, 2020 at 4:42 AM
Nikki said…
(Nikki by the way)
March 28, 2020 at 4:47 AM
Gina said…
Thanks for sharing, Nikki. Hope you were able to rest yesterday! ;)
Rest is granted, not earned. As you said, God treasures us as His beloved children. He really does know best. It helps me to rest on Sundays when I focus on physical rest and spiritual nourishment. Getting to read or listen to, or talk together about spiritual things that I normally don't get to is tremendously encouraging.
March 30, 2020 at 11:52 AM
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