Psalm 37:7a Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.

For the past couple of weeks, I’ve had the blessing of enjoying a nice long vacation which was much needed. My plans were to fly somewhere and take tours of the city while enjoying the gorgeous sunsets during the evening hours. Well, none of these plans came to fruition as I had some unexpected expenses earlier in the year which took top priority. So my vacation became a staycation. I really wanted to go somewhere, but God had other plans. His plan was for me to stay home and get some rest. I’ve done small things here and there such as spending time at the beach, reading a few books, having lunch with friends, and tidying up my home. But overall, my vacation has been one of rest.

The Lord calls each of us to rest in Him. Sometimes, I get anxious and worried when a situation arises or when I go through a trial. Instead of praying first, there have been times when I tried to figure out a solution to the issue(s) at hand. I wanted that problem to dissipate (“go away” for lack of a better term). So the quicker I found a solution, the better I would feel. The Lord would always bring me back to His Word and affirm that I needed to run to Him first, pray and seek His wisdom for the road bumps in my path way.

Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 

Now don’t get me wrong, it’ ok to seek out a solution, but we have to remember that our solutions may not be the best solution for the situations we are in. God has the very best in store for each of us. So instead of seeking your own solution, always seek the Lord for His solution for the challenge you are facing. His answer and plan for your life will never fail. He knows exactly what He’s doing and the Lord will never let you down. This is where resting in Him and waiting patiently on Him comes in to play. The word “REST” can be broken down in terms of:

R – REST IN HIM

E – EMBRACE THE LORD AND HIS PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE

S – SIT STILL AND WAIT FOR HIS LEADING AND DIRECTION

T – TRUST THE LORD AND HIS OVERALL PURPOSE FOR YOUR SITUATION

Isaiah 55:8-9 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.

In other words, run to the Lord first, entrust your concerns to His care, abide (rest) in Him, and wait patiently for Him to impart His divine wisdom on your circumstances. Most times, we tend to act first based on our feelings, and then pray. I’m the first to admit, I’ve done this many times. But God calls us to pray first, not to lean on our own understanding, to seek His wisdom in the situation we are in, listen for His voice, and then allow Him to lead us in the direction He wants us to take. Remember you can’t trust your feelings. They will always lead you down the wrong path. Currently, I’m involved in a summer study with a few ladies. Together, we are going through the book, Armor of God by Priscilla Shirer. In the section on The Shield of Faith, Priscilla gave an excellent exhortation on the subject of feelings. Here’s a snippet of what she wrote taken from pages 144-146:

“As believers, we have the privilege of knowing His direction for us as we prayerfully seek it. He will be faithful to show us the truth, to give us His direction for the next step we are supposed to take.

Once you clearly know the truth of God or the promise of God in regard to a matter, its time to move forward in a way that’s congruent with it.”

Wait for it. HERE IT COMES:

“Listen carefully – your feelings can never be the final determining factor for your actions. Feelings change and are subject to external stimuli. Actions done in faith must be anchored in something more solid and fixed. Your enemy is always hoping you’ll be swayed by how you feel instead of acting in conjunction with the steady, venerated truth that you know. He hopes you’ll trust those feelings and be directed by them, instead of following the truth of God’s Word”.

Well said! This really ministered to my heart. It’s a lesson for all of us that we can’t trust our feelings in any given situation. We need to rest in the Lord and apply the truth of God’s Word to all our life circumstances. He never fails and His Word never fails. You can trust God and His unchanging Word! The Lord is Faithful!

John 17:17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.

Psalm 55:22 Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. 

Psalm 119:105, 162  

vs 105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

vs 162 I rejoice at Your word as one who finds great treasure.