Devotional Archives--A Heart At Rest

July 18, 2005 —

Storms

Sometimes storms come with angry fury. Wind whipped tree branches are forced to the ground; majestic bows bending, beautiful leaves shred and flung into the sky. Hail pelts, bruising flowers and crushing tender plants. Living, breathing creatures cower wherever shelter is found. Trembling, they seek safety.

Other storm systems are quieter, but no less incessant. Snow falls for hours; hours stretch to days. Gray-white clouds cover the sun, the stars. The storm is relentless, but silent, ever falling, covering the world beneath, burying any sign of life.

Sometimes its weight presses upon barren limbs, piling upon them until the strong trees cracks underneath the cold, heavy pressure. And the living huddle anywhere warmth can be found. They eye their reserves, hoping they have enough to outlast the ever falling, quietly swirling powder.

The storms of our life have different names: Illness, relationships, finances, grief, wounds, overwhelming busyness . . . the list goes on. Sometimes they attack with a fury that leaves us trembling and breathless. Other times they linger indefinitely, demanding fortitude and perseverance beyond our comprehension. But always, storms cry for a safe place.

The Bible tells about a time that Paul, traveling by ship, faced a wind of typhoon strength. “The terrible storm raged unabated for many days, blotting out the sun and the stars, until at last all hope was gone.”(Acts 27:20 The Message)

The storm was frightening and it was long. The sailors gave up on their lives. But God sent an angel to Paul to tell him not to be afraid—that God’s plans for him required his life be spared.

Paul also faced a long, silent storm. He called it his thorn in the flesh and asked three times that God take it away. But God didn’t. He simply told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you.”

These stories remind me of something I heard from Max Lucado. He said everything that comes our way is first sifted through the Lord’s hands—and that we should submit to God’s Lordship in our life, even in the storms.

At one level I can understand this—even feel protected by it. But when something really hurts I feel I’ve gotten the raw end of the deal. Why does He allow such pain?

In the long run I always come back to the same truth. Though I don’t understand why bad stuff happens, I don’t want to walk through a gale force wind without my Father. I can question His love and His wisdom or embrace the truth: God is love. God is wisdom.

God has our eternal good in mind at all times. His love is ever present, always available and abounding to us. He is there when we cry out to Him.

Sometimes our God rescues us from the storm. I’m comforted by Psalm 107:28-31. “Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men.” (NIV)

Other times the storm continues, unabated, and He whispers, as He did to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you.”

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July 25, 2005 —

Sparrows

Not even a sparrow, worth only half a penny, can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. (Matthew 10:29 NLT)

A twittering of birds filled our garage this spring. We never found the nest, but sadly, we found a tiny bird on the concrete floor. My husband, Jerry, carefully scooped it onto a piece of cardboard. The children brought it water and food. But, the poor little thing didn’t survive its harsh collision with the cement.

I still hear cheerful trilling of birds outside and assume the little one’s siblings fared better than he, but it was a sad moment for all of us, watching the injured bird flop around briefly and then lie still.

We wondered if the little fellow tried to fly too early, or if he was pushed from the nest, perhaps considered unfit for continued survival. Whatever the case, the end result caused a tender spot in each of us to ache a bit. He was totally vulnerable—so sweet and helpless.

Throughout this process the verse in Matthew 10 often came to mind. I found comfort in the fact that our Father, too, felt the loss of the life of one so beautiful and new. It didn’t matter to the Lord whether the injury was a result of the bird’s own mistakes or the brutal hurt of others. He just loved. He saw and cared. And it soothed me.

God says we’re more valuable to Him than a whole flock of birds. He sees us so well that He knows the number of every hair on our head (Matthew 10:30-31).

I Peter 5:7 (NLT) says “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about what happens to you.”

For the last several years the Lord has been teaching me how to do that. When life hurt I used to find all kinds of crazy ways to respond. I’d blame myself or someone else. I’d shove down the pain or spew it out. I’m sure I still revert to those responses sometimes, but I’m learning a new pattern of responding.

I simply close my eyes and imagine myself placing my head on the Father’s shoulder. He always welcomes me and responds by putting His arms around me. I snuggle into His chest. I tell Him how I hurt and how much I need Him. And I rest there.

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August 1, 2005 —

A Heart Surrendered

One of my children had a particularly rough day. Usually thoughtful and gentle in nature, he was stubborn, selfish, and angry. He and another sibling fought and both felt raw afterwards.

“Something’s wrong inside my heart, Mommy,” he told me.

Sometimes I feel like my son did that day. Something isn’t right inside.

God tells His people, “Put all your rebellion behind you, and get for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.” (Ezekiel 18:31a NLT)

In this context there are two kinds of rebellion. The rebellion that denies a need for Jesus and the stubbornness we sometimes experience when we ignore something the Lord asks us to do.

The first is easily solved. We simply admit we need God’s help and welcome Him to come into our life and take charge. The second is similar. We let Him have His way. In either situation, we can rest in the truth that He will change our hearts.

This promise is stated in several places. I like the way the Amplified Bible says it in Ezekiel 11:19. “And I will give them one heart [a new heart] and I will put a new spirit within them; and I will take the stony [unnaturally hardened] heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh [sensitive and responsive to the touch of their God].”

When we give God the control reins, we get a new heart! As we rest in that truth, He will lead us by our new, sensitive and responsive heart. We actually begin to desire to do what He wants us to, even when it is hard.

Is there something God’s asked you to do that you’ve been avoiding? If you sit quietly and give Him permission to do so, He will peel back the layers of resistance and you’ll discover that underneath your struggles, you not only know what to do, but you want to do it, as well. Your new, alive heart wants it His way.

And His way brings peace.

A heart surrendered to God is a heart at rest.

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August 8, 2005 —

Mountains

Have you ever worked really hard at getting what you want and been blocked at every turn? Maybe your desire is a legitimate need. And you’ve done everything within your power to bring it to pass.

But nothing changes.

Peace eludes you. Always you feel a sense of striving. Your emotions are raw and your mind is never calm. It is always searching, trying to find that illusive answer that will bring your desire to you. Your heart constantly churns.

There’s a long-term situation in my life that is like that silent storm I wrote about a few weeks ago. It never seems to end, and, on occasion, there is a raging thunderstorm thrown in.

This week I was filled with a soul weariness—the kind that makes you so tired you just want to hide. This same huge mountain loomed before me and I wanted, by sheer will, to tackle all the mountainous obstacles and fling the stones away, one by one. I longed to grab a pick ax and strike the immovable rock, boring crevices until it crumbled. And then, when I was tired, I wanted to pound that obstacle with my fists until my arms were left bruised and bleeding.

I wanted to leave the faith journey—to quit praying and asking and believing and waiting. I wanted to take matters into my own hands—even if the results left them raw and wounded.
But that's just the thing.

All my self-effort will only leave me bruised. Bleeding. Crumbled in a heap before the rock mountain. Distracted in heart and soul from the path God lays before me.

The Lord reminded me that I needed to keep my eyes off that mountain and on Him. He showed me that in His face I find the courage, attention, comfort, and love I crave.

A friend of mine put part of Hebrews 12:2, which tells us to fix our eyes on Jesus, to music. A gentle melody sings, over and over, “fix your eyes, fix your eyes, fix your eyes on Him.” I need to keep my eyes off the problem and onto the Savior.

When months or years pass and painful circumstances continue we can choose to live in relentless turmoil or learn to have a heart at rest. Havoc comes when we try to fix things through our meager resources. Rest comes when we let our Lord have His way.

As I prayed about that mountain that looms forever before me, I felt as if the Lord took my hand, helped me to my feet, and led me to a path that traversed it. “Going My way?” He asked. He didn’t want me fixing the problem. He wanted me to walk through it holding onto His arm.

Traversing the mountain is taking one step at a time as He leads. It is a journey into, over, and around your fears. You fix your thoughts on Christ instead of the obstacle, trusting Him and letting go of control.

As you face your own mountain, may you see the love in His eyes. May you feel His strong hand beneath your elbow, guiding you through or around that obstacle. May you cease striving. May your heart be at rest in His loving care.

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August 15, 2005 —

Standing

“For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you.” 2 Chronicles 20:12b (NIV)

When is it the hardest for you to have a heart at rest? For many of us it is when we feel fear. Maybe a layoff at work, a bad relationship, or illness threatens you. Or maybe it is a struggle from within. A whisper that says you are not up to the task you’ve been given and you fear failure.

No matter the initial cause, usually piled on top of the hard stuff will be a slew of demands, extra busyness, a few setbacks, and maybe even some attacks upon your inner person.

Sometimes it’s hard to have a heart at rest.

There have been times, as I tried to follow God in obedience, an all-out battle seemed to be waged against me. And I wanted to fight for myself—to seek to be understood, to plan tactical warfare.

But that approach never seemed to fix things. It only left me tired, upset, and with a heart of chaos—certainly not a heart of peace.

There is a reoccurring theme the Lord brings into my Bible reading. He seems to give me one of these stories just when the battle flares again and I am tempted to rush out to my own slaughter, or worse yet, hide and then run the other way.

Three men with crazy names have become my heroes. They weren’t perfect, but each modeled what it is like to stand with a heart at rest and let the Lord fight their battle. Their names are Nehemiah, Jehoshaphat, and Hezekiah. Each of them faced great odds and intimidation.

Nehemiah and Hezekiah also faced trickery and were told that their Lord wouldn’t save them. “Don’t trust your God,” their enemies said. “He can’t protect you from us. Look what we did to all the other nations.” But these guys stood firm. They continued to work, undistracted by threats.

When a vast army came to attack Jehoshaphat, he assembled the people around him and cried out to the Lord. He admitted he was powerless and told God he was looking to Him for help.

“All the men of Judah, with their wives, and children, and little ones, stood there before the Lord. Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel . . . . He said . . . ‘do not be afraid or discouraged . . . the battle is not yours, but God’s . . .. Stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you.’” (portions of 2 Chornicles 20:13-15 NIV)

In each of these stories God said to be still. To trust Him. That He would take care of the battle.

A few years ago I took a very difficult stand. A situation came up that looked like I was being taken to the lion’s den. All the cards were stacked against me. Yet, I felt the Lord told me to stand firm. My husband and I fasted and took turns alternately praying and watching the children.

I faced the situation and the Lord worked a miracle. It was one of the first times I remember truly understanding that verse in Philippians 4:7 that says we can have a peace that will surpasses all understanding. Even as I walked into my own lion’s den, I felt inner calm. Turmoil swirled around me, but inside I was at rest.

In Ephesians 6, Paul tells us to put on the full armor of God. In a matter of five verses he tells us to stand firm four times.

In those hard times, when it is easier to fear than be at peace, let us follow the example of our Biblical heroes and stand firm, waiting with a heart at rest for the deliverance of our God.

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