True rest in the God who helps
Last night I had a dream where I was gliding through still waters—my soul basking in the warmth of cool and calm serenity. With a coffee in one hand and a pen in another, I paddled through the pages of my journal, allowing my ink to brim over with faith and gratitude. My mind was clear, and my heart was full. God is good.
And then my alarm went off, blaring jarred notes that shook my soul. I opened my bleary eyes and began treading water. Ticking off deadlines, paying bills, making decisions, and avoiding the unsolved argument from the night before. As waters rose, I tread faster, anxiously propping up my many idols in order to keep them dry. Too many burdens, not enough hands.
In a moment of weakness, I lost my grip and was swept out into deep waters. Coughing and spluttering, I cried out for help. God, wake up! Can’t you see that I’m going to drown? With no choice but to surrender to the current’s flow, I stopped treading and let go of my idols which sunk to the bottom of the ocean floor. With renewed buoyancy, my body glided towards the foot of a large and sturdy mountain. Relieved, I lifted my stinging eyes to look upon the majesty of my Maker.
When storms come, the temptation is to turn to idols for safety and security—and yet over the years, I have learned that nothing in creation can calm our fears or grant us true rest. It’s why the Psalmist in Psalm 121 identifies that it is the Maker—not the mountain—who has the power to help. In Matthew 8:23–27, the disciples got to see first-hand, the power of Jesus over the waves of life. Stuck on a boat during a furious storm, the disciples panicked and begged their Master to save them. They had seen Jesus perform many wondrous miracles, and yet in their fear of drowning they wavered in their faith.
As the disciples were consumed by fear, Jesus wakes up from his nap to bring order to the chaos. Immediately the howling winds were silenced, the roaring waters calmed, and the boat filled with faith and awe. Who is this man who can control and calm our fears? In this season of uncertainty, where our first-world idols of health and wealth have proven to be flimsy, I have been forced to seek solace in the power of my Maker. I have learned that even if I stop working, the world is sustained by a Helper who does not slumber. Even if I stop treading water, faith promises that we will remain afloat. I need not be afraid.
As people who belong to Jesus, we need not fear the storms of life. We belong to the One who will protect us from all harm for he has conquered the wind and wave of death itself. At the cross, Jesus bore the penalty for our sin to remove death’s sting. This means, that even if we find ourselves wading in deep waters, we can tell our frantic souls to rest in our Maker and Helper who is with us and for us—both now and forevermore.
Originally published on the OneLove website.
OneLove Devotional Series: An Invitation to Find True Rest
In a culture that glorifies busyness, what does it mean to experience deep and satisfying rest in God?
I have teamed up with OneLove women’s conference as a contributor for their latest devotional series titled “Come to Me: An Invitation to Find True Rest”. The titles include:
#1: True rest in the God who helps
#2: True rest in the God who is merciful
#3: True rest in the God who never changes
#4: Shabath – The Hebrew word for rest
#5: Anapauo – The Greek word for rest
Follow OneLove on Facebook or Instagram to access these free devotionals or download them at onelovewomen.com/resources.
Feature photo by Eberhard Grossgasteiger (Unsplash)
