Weariness or rest?

Time unfilled is like a vacuum. Have you ever noticed that? Take something out of your schedule and there is something new bound to come creeping in (something that must be done, no doubt) and take over those free minutes in your day. I am one who seems unable to keep busyness at bay. I like being productive. I like crossing things of my to-do list. I like putting things on my to-do list even if I've already done them simply to have the satisfaction of crossing them off! Anyone else like that? Hmm. Didn't think so.

I have experienced many evenings sitting with my husband answering the question, "So what did you do today?" All too often I know I have done hundreds of things, but feel like I've accomplished few. Is the busyness I am enslaved by meaningful? Or am I wearing myself out for no good reason...

Jesus promises rest, a release from the heavy burdens we bear from day to day. Even dailiness itself, the again-and-again quality of so much of our lives, is a burden we must surrender to fully live His promise.

But the rest spoken of in scripture is not always about bodily quiet, it can also mean trust.

In repentance and rest is your salvation,
in quietness and trust is your strength.
Isaiah 30:15

Trusting in God, fully relying on His goodness, His mercy, His grace in our daily living brings us true rest. It is more about obedience than a nap, so to speak, though I love a good nap!

Earlier in Isaiah, he expresses God's dissatisfaction with his people:

...God will speak to this people, to whom he said,
"This is the resting place, let the weary rest"; and "This is the place of repose"-
but they would not listen.
So then the word of the Lord will become:
Do and do, do and do,
rule on rule, rule on rule;
a little here, a little there-
So that they will go and fall backward,
be injured and snared and captured.
Isaiah 28:11-13

The people's willfulness in turning from God's offering of rest, their unwillingness to trust in the Lord and wait on Him, caused His word to become as nothing to them. It began to make no sense. Gibberish.

Meaningless activity apart from God, wearying busyness, not resting in God's faithfulness and trusting Him at His word.

That sounds awfully familiar...

The truth is that our doing, our busyness, our to-do lists take more from us than just sleep. If we do not make a point of trusting in God, resting our souls, laying our heads in His lap for a few moments in our day, all of the tasks in our day are senseless. Obedience in the daily things brings the true rest we need.

Let's not be like the Israelites. Let's listen. Let's capture our time, before something else captures and ensnares us.


Christine can be found daily at her personal blog: