Trusting & Resting
“The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.” - Nahum 1:7
Trusting and resting go hand in hand. You cannot rest in God, unless you trust that God is who He says He is. Conversely, if you trust that God is who He says He is, then you will enter into His rest.
Many times, I like to say that I trust God, but my actions quickly prove otherwise. Rather than spending my time resting in His provisions, I spend my time attempting to manipulate and control what was never in my control to manipulate in the first place. For some reason, I have adopted the idea that what God can do, I can do better. Now, I am not quick to admit that out loud, but, in more cases than not, my actions do the talking for me.
So how do we trust? How do we rest?
Psalm 32:10 says, “Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him about.”
In addition, Psalm 37:3-7 says, Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.”
True trust and rest in God do not follow those who treat God as if He is some behind the scenes character, only brought into the spotlight when life does not pan out the way they thought it would. True trust and rest in God follow those who acknowledge that their purpose does not rest on who they are, but on who He is. Psalm 127:2 says, “It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.” (rest!)
In chapter 36 of Alicia Britt Chole’s book, Anonymous, she speaks on the importance of waiting and trusting. She writes, “When God’s timing is not our timing and it is in our power to do something about it (as with Jesus’ example on the temple), whose timing will we choose? Ultimately, our answer to that question depends on whom we trust” (Chole, 119).
Elisabeth Elliot once said, “Rest is a weapon given to us by God. The enemy hates it because he wants you stressed and occupied.”
Rest is the product of trust. It isn’t found in doing, but in being. It isn’t found when you get the degree, land the job, or take the long-awaited vacation. It’s right here, because wherever “here” is for you, God is there. God has already given us everything we need to live a life of godliness (2 Peter 1:3). As Psalm 23 says, we lack nothing!
Life may not look like what you thought it would, or become what you think it should — but when you put your fears, tears, and worries in the hands of Jesus, you’ll find a peace that passes understanding (Philippians 4:7). Those same hands still bear the scars of the price He paid for your redemption on the cross (Isaiah 53:5). Your life and soul are in no safer place than in the miracle working hands of the Savior.
Why wait until the valleys come to get to know the Lord? There are things that the Lord desires to teach you that you will miss if you choose to walk away from God today. In C.S. Lewis’ book, Mere Christianity, He wrote, “…the little decisions you and I make every day are of such infinite importance. The smallest good act today is the capture of a strategic point from which, a few months later, you may be able to go on to victories you never dreamed of. An apparently trivial indulgence in lust or anger today is the loss of a ridge or railway line or bridgehead from which the enemy may launch an attack otherwise impossible” (Lewis, 132).
God hurts when we hurt. I wonder how much more He hurts when He sees us choosing those things that provide momentary satisfaction, but leave us empty in the end. There is pleasure in sin for a season, but when that season is over, we are only left more hurt and more broken (Hebrews 11:25-26). All the treasure we’re looking for is already in His hands and heart to give us. He really is our loving and gracious Father.
Matthew 7:11 says, “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?”
Start trusting and resting now and watch Him do abundantly above all you could ask or think (Ephesians 3:20-21). Craig Groeschel once said, “God can do more with your surrender than you can with your control.” I can testify to the truth of that statement.
There may be parts of your story that you are not proud of, or particularly fond of — me too. God knows. It’s been said that God knew what He was getting when He chose me, and chose me anyway. He is not in any way surprised by your past or your future. So, trust Him, delight in knowing Him, and rest in His promises and unchanging character.
“God has already written your story. And He never crumples up chapters or erases certain parts. He knows exactly how it will go from beginning to end. Trust His plan.” - A Heart Full of Hope Blog
The older I get, the more I learn that life is a journey, meant to be lived one day at a time. Proverbs 16:9 says, “A man's heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.” It truly is the Lord who lights our way and who gives us a heart knowledge, not just a head knowledge, of His heart for us.
I am so thankful for a kind and patient Father who provides us grace to trust and rest along this journey He has prepared for us.