Rest and Trust is Worship

 Here's a happy little saying:   Rebellion is the opposite of rest and trust. 😁

I just finished rocking Evelyn to sleep for her nap. Sometimes I linger longer than I need to...because she's cute and so sweet when she sleeps! But that has nothing to do with this post, other than it allowed me time to read. Michael bought me a Kindle Paperwhite for Christmas and that gift has restored my ability to read! I find myself reaching for that instead of my phone...and so, while I rock, I read. Today I was reading Isaiah 30. 

I am allowing God to teach me about rest. And as I grow in the ability to rest, in the ability to live and move from rest, my trust in Him will grow, too. I am allowing God to teach me how to slow down in my approach to life. I am allowing God to teach me how to pray, rather than respond to what happens around me. This will be a long lesson because I am allowing God to engrain in me a deeper habit, a deeper way. Rest allows God to be God for me. Rest gives me moments to step back and ask, "Holy Spirit, now what?" instead of just jumping into brainstorming or mindless doing. Rest acknowledges His way and rest exalts His way over my way. This is an act of worship. Psalm 23 says that the Shephard, "leads us beside quiet waters FOR HIS NAMESAKE," or for His Glory. Out of rest comes a life lived in reverence and worship to God, a life lived to make Him known. 

In Isaiah 30 there is this wonderful promise in verse 15 that says, "For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, 'In repentance and rest will be your salvation; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.'" 

This makes sense to me. Rest and salvation cannot be separated. In rest is trust and faith in who God is, again, letting God be God for me. Without rest, I do not need Him, nor will I yield to Him. And that is what Isaiah is writing about in chapter 30. Verse 15 doesn't end there. The last line is, "But you were unwilling." The Israel that Isaiah was writing to at the time was steeped in idolatry and pride. God was treated so casually by His people. They wanted to do things their way and if you read through the history of Kings and Chronicles you'll see that they suffered severely for their choices and rebellion against God.   Because God is a big, fat jerk? NO! God again and again sought Israel to bring them back to relationship with Him. "But you were unwilling," it says. They refused to rest in God, in His salvation, in His holy way of living. They refused to repent of their way over God's way mentality. They refused to repent and acknowledge their idolatry and to place God back on the throne of their hearts. 

Rest is the recognition of the sovereignty of God in my life. It's not a nap or laziness (though God could tell you to nap...PLEASE, JESUS!!!).  It's a way of living towards God. Rest acknowledges that His ways are higher than mine, His thoughts are higher than mine. Rest silences my ignorant genius and allows God to sovereignly interject His plan, His holiness and His perfect law or rightousness into my life. I need this. My brainstorming, ragged, tired heart needs this. In quietness and in trust shall be your strength. My own strength feels so weak. I can't do everything I'm called to do without the presence of God. I just can't. Rebellion rejects the kingship and authority of Jesus over me. Rest acknowledges it and recieves it...this is my strength. 

Today, will you begin to worship the Lord with rest? Will you acknowledge His way over your way? His kingship and authority over you, the one He created and breathed His very breath into?