Rest to SOAR

Isaiah 40:28-31
28)  Do you not know?  Have you not heard?  The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. 
29)  He give strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
30)  Even youths grow tired and weary and young men stumble and fall; 
31)  but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.  

I have a lot on my mind this morning, let's see where the Lord takes us.

I am currently thinking about Mark's and my recent trip to Gatlinburg, TN.  What a blessing to be able to get away from the day to day of life.  Truly it was hard to return.  I am thinking about what it means to retreat, rest and then return.   I seem to be really good at retreating...more like withdrawing and hiding rather than to retreat for renewal.  What about you?

Well, it is necessary to retreat to renew...whether it be to get away from the day to day or to simply take the sabbath rest that the Lord has provided.  I have recently been thinking more and more about what a sabbath rest is.  Intriguing.  We often equate rest with laziness or lack of purpose.  Wrong!  A lie from the enemy as a matter of fact.  I believe this to be a tactic of the enemy and one that he has used mightily, particularly in the lives of Christ followers.  I know he has used it in me many times over.  However if our Creator designed creation, declared it good, then rested (and He did, Genesis 2:2) ...perhaps we would be wise to reconsider our stance on sabbath rest.  I am.  I do not have any answers, no solutions, just finally a willingness to consider that perhaps I am missing out on something good that the Father has provided.

I have mentioned before that I tend to be a rather sedentary person, thankfully Mark is a mover...therefore ideally we will provide some balance for each other...he helping me move, me helping him be still.  The thing is though, that while I am often sitting still, I am rarely still.  Internally, I am going at quite a clip, one that might even keep up with Mark if I could actually move that fast, haha!

Thus, this journey God has me on...a deliberate desire to learn, a choosing if you will, "to be still and know that He is God" Psalm 46:10.  

So to Isaiah...that same word know in Psalm 46:10 shows up here in verse 28, yada, to know (learn to know; to perceive and see, find out and discern; to know by experience).  This word excites me, it gives me hope.  I can "know" that He is God.  I can "know"all that He has for me in Isaiah 48:28-31, in His Word, period.  I can KNOW, PERCEIVE, SEE, FIND OUT, KNOW BY EXPERIENCE because God says I can!  Whoa!  I am thankful and I want to know.  Truly know Him and the power of His resurrection (Philippians 3:10).

So I need to ask myself a couple questions.  You may want to ask yourself as well...Do you not know?  Have you not heard?  I mean really, do we know, have we heard?  Are we willing to allow the knowing to become more than head knowledge and be a knowing by experience?  There is so much to know...look for starters...

The LORD (Yehovah, Jehovah, the existing one-occurs 6,820 times in KJV)
Everlasting ((owlam) - continuous existence
God (elohiym) - Elohim is the first name for God in the Bible, most frequently used in the OT (equivalent - Theos - in the NT)
Creator (bara) - create, shape, form

So I am getting carried away...but seriously, look at WHO GOD IS IN JUST THIS ONE VERSE!!
He is so amazing, so awesome!  He is is control, He is in charge.  Look...He created all and He does not become weary - EVER!  The Word says 'His understanding no one can fathom!'  I mean get that!  He is!

Back to the thought of rest...He took the sabbath rest because He was done creating, not because He was tired or weary.  Complete.  He means for us to have a sabbath...a time of rest.  I am beginning to grasp that He wants to provide that rest for us often, not as a vacation or retreat, although those are definitely nice.  But as a deliberate provision to help us regain our strength, in HIM.  Do you ever find yourself weary, fatigued, faint?  Uh, yeah!  How about more often than not!  Honestly, rarely do I feel strong.  Rarely do I have any umph!  What I know...truly know...is that when I choose to meet with my LORD, He really does give me His strength!  I mean, sign me up...I am no longer a youth (and even they grow weary), I definitely stumble and fall, I am weary and weak!  And yet...HE IS NOT!!! EVER!!!!

So what is my choice?  This moment, this day?  To place my HOPE in the LORD!  I can choose to stay weary, to be weak or chose to soar in His strength!!!!  Not much of a choice when it is put like that is it???  I so want to soar!!!  I want to run for Him, with Him and not grow weary.  I want to be able to walk and not faint.  Whatever the moment calls for I want to be aware of my LORD, my Creator, the Everlasting God...who says He is with me all the time, providing, sustaining, redeeming, renewing, strengthening!

He does the work if I will let Him!  Why wouldn't I let Him?  Maybe because I am hard-headed, stubborn, foolish, misguided, confused...but this doesnt' have to be true of me, not if I am willing to submit, to give Him Lordship, control.  I am willing!  I want to be more and more willing, more and more often.  I want to walk in His ways, not my own!  Mine don't work!  Mine make me miserable, unhappy, sad, etc... in His ways I can soar!  Soar!!!  Doesn't mean that my circumstances or the people around me have necessarily changed or gotten better, but it does mean that HE IS CHANGING ME!  He is giving me eyes to see Him and the strength to obey.  He says we only have to ask...Ephesians 1:18, Luke 11:9, James 1:5, Ephesians 3:20, 1 John 5:14 and on and on.  He is the Great I AM!  HE IS!

Oh, God, create in me a pure heart and renew a steadfast spirit with in me.  Do not cast me from Your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.  (Psalm 51:10)   Help me to take delight in You, LORD, may the desires of my heart be Yours as I learn to delight in You.  May I commit my way to You, LORD and trust in You to act.  (Psalm 37:4-5)

May I learn what Your sabbath rest needs to look like in my own life, God.  Hebrew 4:9-11 says, " A Sabbath rest remains, therefore, for God's people.  For the person who has entered His rest has rested from his own works, just as God did from His.  Let us them make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall into the same pattern of disobedience."  The word rest (katapausis) means a putting to rest, a calming of the winds, a resting place.  Only His rest can provide this.

Bear with me here as I apply this as I see it.  My job is to rest, to be (remember that?...cease striving, stop fighting, be still).  It is His job to give me strength, power...to MAKE ME SOAR!  I look to Him.  To see Him.  To recognize Who He is.   I can chose to give Him my weariness over and over again.  My will or even lack of will.  Weariness is part of this fallen world, but He never grows tired or weary.  He is always in control.  He is always faithful.  He is always available and willing to do the work, provide the strength... I must trust in Him, rest in Him, look to Him and Him alone.  My choice.  Yours.  I believe that rest, even sabbath rest is what we receive on the inside when we meet with Him, when we allow Him to be in charge, when we submit.  Rest comes internally.  Yes, we need to choose to rest physically as that is a necessary part of life, but how often have you tried to rest and the inside of you continues to move out of control.  Anybody besides me?  We must meet with Him in order to receive His rest.

Meeting with Him, deliberately.  Seeking Him, choosing.  Therein lies the rest.  Therein lies the strength.  He increases your desire for Him.   He works.  Now, I am not saying it looks the same for you as it does for me, because it just doesn't.  Our God meets each of us where we are.  He provides for us exactly how and what we need.  Isn't He amazing!  Thank You God!  Please God, give us Your strength to chose to rest in You.  To really rest.  To trust You more fully.  Forgive our doubt.  Our self-sufficiency.  Our lack of willingness to submit.  hank You God!  Please God, give us Your strength to chose to rest in You.  To really rest.  To trust You more fully.  Forgive our doubt.  Our self-sufficiency.  Our lack of willingness to submit.

Forgive me.  Help me to get up from this place of thinking and deliberating and allow You to work in and through me through out the dailyness of life.  Today and beyond.  Thank You for getting my attention, for providing healing with each moment I spend with You.  May I chose to be conscious of You through out the day.  Give me the ability to set my mind on things above where You, Jesus are seated at the right hand of the Father, Colossians 3:1-2.  Thank You for interceding for me.  For never giving up on me.  For loving me.  For providing Your Holy Spirit to live within me so that I am never alone.  Use me for Your glory.  May I point to You, Jesus!  May I rest in You and be busy about what You have for me.  Not what anyone else thinks or wants, including me...May I be about You!  May I KNOW YOU!  May I soar with You!