Rest and Trust

...probably not earth-shattering to most, but for the past two days I've been preoccupied with the relationship between rest and trust. (see what happens when the guy takes a vacation!) It all started while praying through the morning office yesterday, and reflecting on this passage:

Isaiah 30:15 (NRSV) 
    For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel:
    In returning and rest you shall be saved;
        in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.
    But you refused.

It was the parallelism that first caught my eye, drawing attention to the relationship between rest and trust.  Rest. True rest -- is somewhat elusive for many of us.  We take a few days or a couple of weeks off, and often can't wait to get back home again.  It's almost as if we end up needed a vacation from our vacation!  Or... we return from our "getaway", dreading our return and feeling as stressed as when we left!

Maybe our rest is not deep enough, not effective enough, because we're not trusting enough.  Trusting who?  Trusting God.  Maybe if we were to trust God more deeply, we would find ourselves resting more deeply.  Maybe then, what's behind our rest-deficiency would be seen as a trust-deficiency.

When Isaiah first delivered that ancient message to God's people, it was a time when they were trusting in themselves far too much -- politically, militarily, and personally.  The forging of alliances and the accumulation of military resources were evidences of their mistrust -- a form of idolatry.

We are equally adept at "taking care of business" all by ourselves. With our mouths we profess faith in God; but by our actions we prove that our faith is in ourselves.  Lord, have mercy on us!

To fully trust, we must relinquish the control, the power, turning it over to God.  And when we do, it's then that we can truly rest.

We are a people, living in a culture, that really doesn't know how to rest.  We "try" to rest through our various recreations; we "try" to rest through endless "self-talk" techniques.  But I'm growing increasingly convinced that until we truly and deeply put our trust in God, we'll forever be limited in our ability to experience rest in qualitative ways.

Additionally, Isaiah 30:15 points out that rest is also tied to "quietness" -- something else that many of us in today's culture struggle with but desperately need.

Well, at least those are my thoughts on the matter.

Anything to add?

.

photo credit: Google images

Comments

[dan h.]

Very timely words as I get ready for my "rest" - in just a few hours!!! Thanks DP!

[Chris Monroe]

You're welcome, Dan. May God bless your "rest" in amazing ways.

- Chris

[Malcolm Kern]

Your post is definitely on the mark. Rest and trust seem to me to be inextricably linked throughout the Old Testament. In many ways that is what Sabbath is all about — stop, rest and trust that God will keep you whole.
I don't remember who first pointed out to me that in Genesis 1, man is created near the end of the sixth day, so that the first thing she does (after receiving the mandate to take charge of the earth and care for it) is to rest. The pattern of days also emphasizes this point — first evening, then morning; first we rest, then we do — or rather, then we enter into the work that God has already been doing while we slept. There is probably no more difficult discipline of trust than to stop, lie down, and sleep — committing not just our work, but our very lives into the hands of God.
Not only does our culture not encourage us to rest on a vacation, but we have done all in our power to push away the night, so that we never have to stop and trust.

[Seraphim]

Maybe our rest is not deep enough, not effective enough, because we're not trusting enough. Trusting who? Trusting God. Maybe if we were to trust God more deeply, we would find ourselves resting more deeply. Maybe then, what's behind our rest-deficiency would be seen as a trust-deficiency.

Chris,

This makes me think about the scripture that says "You have not entered into my Rest."

Here lately it seems like I always have so much going on. And sometimes I lay in bed at night, with so many thoughts (worried, fears etc) that sleep doesn't come and I worry I'm loosing my mind.

This has driven me back to the Psalms. I lay there and just repeat to myself "The Lord IS MY Shepherd, I shall not want" and meditate on all that means as I unpack that to myself.

It is amazing how this allows me to rest and sleep.

But I need to divest myself more fully of my dis-trust of God in order to really enter into his rest.

lyb

Seraphim

[Chris Monroe]

Malcolm Kern -

Thanks for drawing attention to the creation narrative and the subtle ways rest is more prominent than we (usually) recognize. Good stuff.

As was this:

"but we have done all in our power to push away the night, so that we never have to stop and trust."

Culturally, people who go to sleep early (e.g. 9pm) are considered "weird" for doing so and for missing out on all the nighttime "action."

That's a topic worth blogging about!

Blessings.

- Chris

[Chris Monroe]

Seraphim -

Thanks for sharing so openly. I too often struggled with the quality of sleep each night and a preoccupation with stress, etc.

Once I began faithfully praying the Compline office, which included filling my mind with the truth of the scriptures, the quality of sleep I experienced drastically improved.

I'm glad you've drawn attention to the benefit of the ancient scriptures this way.

Blessings, friend!

Chris

[Jeff Ulrich]

Ouch that really hit home. Thanks so much for your words of wisdom. When I am most rested is when my relationship with God is the closest. We sure can be hard headed in the trust issue.
Jeff

[Chris Monroe]

Jeff -

Thanks for posting, and I think you're right about how "hard headed" can be when it comes to trust. May God continue to bless you in your journey.

Chris