Prone to Wander
It’s an interesting fact that sheep don’t like to lie
down. It is rare that you see a sheep in a state of rest.
It’s also interesting that in scripture we’re often referred
to as sheep. We as people can find it hard to be in a state of rest. If we’re
not rushing, we’re wandering from one thing to the next.
One way or another we often learn that if we don’t voluntarily
slow down, God many times, will give us reason to. He’s very creative in the
ways in which he captures our attention.
When we’re aligned with God we quickly learn that part
of that experience is taking time to rest. Not only does a time of rest do our bodies
good, but our spirits as well.
Here lies the question “Is it well with your soul?” Is
your spirit restless? Are you running ahead forgetting that God goes before
you?
Psalm 127:2 says, “It is useless for you to work so hard from
early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.”
God wants you to give up your tendency to roam, to
wander, to veer off course, like the sheep in the pasture.
Restlessness leads to exhaustion—to physical,
emotional, and spiritual fatigue. And you need more than sleep to cure those
last two. Wandering leads to fatigue as well, but more in the form of
frustration and lack of purpose.
One of the Hebrew names of God is Jehovah Shalom, which
means “I am the God of peace.” Jesus says in John 14:27, “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I
give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid” (NLT).
When God says he’s giving us a gift, he’s telling us it’s
something we don’t have to work for to get. It’s not even a gift we necessarily
deserve, but it is a gift that we need to accept.
Jesus see’s you; your weariness, your discouragement, your
struggle. He also sees you moving from moment to moment, thing to thing, and
issue to issue; trying to fix everything yourself.
Jesus asks: “Are
you tired?” “Are you worn thin?” “Slow down” “stop running and fall into my
arms.” “Walk with me” “watch what I do” “set yourself to my rhythm” “My way is
light” “When you walk with me life won’t feel so heavy.”(Paraphrase of
Matthew 11:28-30)
This time of Lent is a time to align ourselves with
Christ. It’s a time to pay attention to his
rhythm. It’s a time to change our pace to his.
Did you ever take a walk with someone and feel yourself
adjusting to their pace?
I’m from New York and for the longest time people would
tell me I walk like a New Yorker; always in a rush!
So many times when my husband and I go on vacation we
begin our time away with a walk around our surroundings. Every time on that
first day of vacation, we catch ourselves walking like there’s someplace to
urgently be. We then laugh and slow our pace down. We call it vacation pace.
Our daily pace can be called “Jesus Pace”; moving with
intentional peace.
Having Jesus’ peace filled pace does not take away our
problems; but when we intentionally slow down our pace it reminds us who is in charge.
Are you ready to find rest in God? The first step
toward rest is to make peace with God by accepting Jesus as your Lord and
Savior. Stop your wandering. You can start with this simple prayer:
“Jesus, I confess my sin, and I believe you
are my Savior. I trust you when you say salvation comes by grace, through
faith, and not by anything I do. I ask you to come into my life as my Lord.
Today, I commit my life to you. I want to live the way you created me to
live—at peace and rested—and to use the remainder of my life to serve you. In
Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”
Take a deep breath. This isn’t a race. Pick up your
bible and start to dive into scripture. Sit in the gospels and you’ll soon
start to understand this pace that Jesus walks in. There is no rushing. There
is no wandering.
Just like walking with a friend you’ll soon find
yourself adjusting your pace to his.
He walks beside you.
-Pastor Patti
Nice!!!
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