Rest For The Future

Hymn 327 “He who hath led, will lead.” I like this song because it is all about the future. Isaiah 32:18 “My people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.”  This is a beautiful picture for God’s people. On the journey of life we MUST find the quiet resting place. I have been considering these quiet resting places and I have come up with five of these resting places.

1. Trust: We are going into an unknown future, but we can trust God’s leading.  Trust to the extent that our soul is at rest. Ruth 2:12 - God, under whose wings Ruth had come to trust.  We always enjoy people who are at ease. Daniel 3:12 - Daniel’s friends trusted God completely even when thrown into the fire.  Even the King knew that their refusal to bow down to his god, and they trusted that God would deliver them, caused the king to trust in God also.  David trusted God in his battles.

2. Forgiveness: Makes the journey easy.  Joseph learned to forgive his brothers when everything was going bad.  He never blamed his brothers for the difficulties he experienced, realizing that God was directing his path. Genesis 50: 15, & 20 - Even when Jacob was dead and his brothers were sure he’d then "hate us and requite us for the evil which we did to him." Joseph told them: “You thought it for evil, but God meant it for good to save much people alive.”

3. Prayer: Pray until sacrifice and service become a privilege.

4. Love: so deeply that it does not matter what God asks of us.  Love keeps our heart soft. When our hearts are soft it’s easy to forgive, easy to pray, and easy to find a place of service. The more we love, the less we hate, the less we are inclined to criticize or find fault.

5. Submission: Submit until our human will is broken.  Jesus prayed in the garden “Thy will be done.” If we find these resting places, we’ll have all the help we’ll need to have the strength to be victorious.

I had taken this little 3 year-old boy on a subway in Warsaw, (Poland) and it was crowded with people. He couldn’t see around, or up ahead, not a good place to have little kids. He looked up at me and said, “I’m not afraid.” But he was hanging on to my hand for dear life. This world is a bad place, so we need to hang on to our heavenly Father’s hand as tight as we can.

T. Carr 2009, Rest For The Future, Saginaw, OR