Rest in the Midst of Weariness; Psalm 95, Proverbs 7

May the mumbling commence!

Sometimes, we are weary.  We wonder how we might worship God when our energies are so divided among the many things that can occupy our lives – our work, our family, our friends, our hobbies.  We are weary. 

Where can we find rest?  Finding rest comes down to a matter of the heart.  Read from Psalm ninety-five:

Oh come, let us worship and bow down;

Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. 

For He is our God,

And we are the people of His pasture,

And the sheep of His hand.

Today, if you will hear His voice: 

"Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion,

As in the day of trial in the wilderness, 

When your fathers tested Me;

They tried Me, though they saw My work. 

For forty years I was grieved with that generation,

And said, 'It is a people who go astray in their hearts,

And they do not know My ways.' 

So I swore in My wrath,

'They shall not enter My rest.'" (Verses 6-11)

Sometimes, it is no wonder that we are weary – for we fight against the purposes of God.  And the purposes of God for us are the best thing for us to embrace.  It is no wonder that we drain ourselves!  But we do it unnecessarily.

Indeed, to fight God’s purpose for our lives is to harden our hearts and go astray.  Though we may think that we know the best way, we are like headstrong sheep who wander from danger to danger.  If we steer without the direction of our Great Shepherd, we will soon find ourselves in perilous positions.

A hardened heart means that we refuse to be tested.  We instead seek to test others – even God – to avoid close inspection of our own lives, our own thoughts, and our own attitudes.  And this kind of selfish attitude is contrary to the Way of the Lord.  If we act in these ways, we do not know God’s Way. 

Seeking God’s Way means entering into rest.  You and I no longer need to cling to our own wisdom or to that of human leaders.  We may rest in the good will of the Lord – and it is the best and most pleasant will for our lives. 

To fight the will and way of God in our lives is to invite weariness, because we will be fighting our very natures – the purpose for which God created us.  And that is purpose is rightful relationship with our Creator and with all creation.  The center of that purpose is love. 

Let us surrender our hearts to God.  Read from Proverbs chapter seven:

Now therefore, listen to me, my children;

Pay attention to the words of my mouth: 

Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways,

Do not stray into her paths; 

For she has cast down many wounded,

And all who were slain by her were strong men. 

Her house is the way to hell,

Descending to the chambers of death. (Verses 24-27)  

The harlot that is spoken of in this passage is no simple harlot.  This harlot is anything that distracts us from the will and purpose that God has created in us.  These distractions are the pavement on the highway to Hell, and they mean certain death. 

Embrace God and leave weariness behind!  Christ’s yoke is easy, and his burden is light.  Christ pulls along with us in a yoke! 

Enough mumbling for now… 

Peace Out