One of the more frustrating things for me in life is not being able to fall asleep. I don’t often have trouble with this, but I have gone through spells of it. Sometimes, it happens when I first get in bed. Other times, it’s when I wake up in the middle of the night (and can’t fall back to sleep). Instead of finding rest, my mind races, thinking about all there is to worry about in life.
In the still of the night, it’s so easy to reflect on those things that scare us or give us anxiety. Or, perhaps we go through items on the to-do list that we missed that day. Health, relationships, finances, parenting, news of war, what does the future hold? Admittedly, it can all feel paralyzing.
I’ve been reminded recently (in our Hebrews series) that God provides rest as a gift to His people. Here are just a few verses to consider:
- Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” — Matthew 11:28 (NLT)
- “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.” Psalms 4:8 — (NLT)
- “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.” — Psalm 127:2 (NLT)
Our Father is Driving
Recently, my family went on a short road trip to Honeyville, Utah. As we made the hour-plus drive home, my two youngest children fell asleep. As I later considered our trip, I thought how sweet it is to be a carefree child and find rest in the car.
I remember a couple of vacations from when I was a boy; our family drove through the night to get to our destination. My brothers and I would spend the night sleeping in the van, trusting our parents to deliver us safely to the morning. I have vivid memories of waking up at dawn seeing that we were still trekking along the highway.
Certainly, there are so many things that we could spend our time fretting about. We could fear other drivers, the threat of a storm, or a possible road hazard. All of these things keep us from finding rest on the ride. At times, we can fear that God Himself is asleep at the wheel. As a result, we wonder if He even knows where He is driving us?
Jesus’ Restful Journey
You’ve heard the story of Jesus and His disciples in the boat in Mark 4:37-38, “A very bad wind came up on the lake. The waves were coming over the sides and into the boat, and it was almost full of water. Jesus was inside the boat, sleeping with his head on a pillow.”
Of course, we know the disciples weren’t resting. They quickly woke Jesus up and pleaded for Him to save them from the danger. Jesus, on the other hand, had full faith His Father would watch over Him. Even as He rested in that boat, in the midst of a storm, Jesus displayed faith. Additionally, He called His disciples to greater faith.
Life is absolutely filled with stressful situations. And certainly, hard work is an important reality as we’re good stewards of the life He’s given us. But, there is also a beautiful truth that God longs to provide rest. It is His amazing Father’s heart to say, “Child, you can sleep. Trust me, I’m driving the car.”
Finding rest,
Posted in A Word from the Pastor