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It’s an exception, I know, to the “re—” rhythm. But certainly not to life.
If you desire to come closer to God, rest is unavoidable. It puts a fresh spin on the imagination. It creates a wider perspective. Rest. Rest ensures ample opportunities. Collect your thoughts. Enjoy nature. Drink some coffee. Find the energy required to continue. But most importantly, rest is a taxi to the presence of God. Jesus often rests throughout scripture. Take a look. “Early the next morning Jesus went out to an isolated place…” (Luke 4:42). “But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer” (Luke 5:16). Water drips from the leaves of a tree, landing on the pages of my journal.
The grass gently sways to the rhythm of the wind. Birds sing in the background. If God can provide their needs today, He can certainly provide mine. After all, “Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?” (Matthew 6:26-27). Whew! What a relief. “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence” (2 Peter 1:3). Psalm 23 holds a special place in my heart. Why? A couple of reasons. First of all, it happens to be my great-grandpa’s personal favorite. Even though he’s with Jesus today, my family compares me to him. I look like him. Play the keys like him. And, of course, I often find myself similarly attracted to words.
So there’s the first reason, but here’s the second: it leaves me speechless. On Wednesday morning, I open my Bible to the beloved scripture and begin reading. Before too long, I sit speechless on my porch. The breeze blows. The sun shines. l feel closer to God than I have for a long time. And that’s exactly what I crave—His beautiful presence. In fact, even as I write this, my soul longs for that perfect peace. I’m addicted to Jesus.  “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered—how fleeting my life is. You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand” (Psalm 39:4-5).
So I grab a ruler on my desk—yep, 4 inches. Mt. Everest is 348,348 inches tall. The Empire State Building stands 17,448 inches. And then, there’s the deepest part of the ocean—434,400 inches. |
