Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him. Psalm 37:7
The secret to good rest is trust. If you don't trust the bed you lie down on, you will not rest very well. If you are vacationing and don't trust those whom you left in charge of your business, your vacation will not be very restful. If you don't trust the baby-sitter, you will find that the night off gave you no rest from stress, but only increased it. Trust is needed for rest.
Waiting on the Lord is the deepest level of trust; indeed, waiting and trusting are nearly synonymous in Scripture. No wonder that being still before the Lord -- resting in Him -- and waiting for Him are linked together in this psalm. One becomes rested as one waits on God. How is that? Well, waiting on the Lord implies that you trust that He can deal with what you give Him. If it is an enemy, He can take care of him. If it is a problem, He has the solution. If it is something pressing on your heart, He has the relief from every burden, help for every need, and strength for every occasion. He offers forgiveness to those who trust in Jesus' redeeming merit.
We are urged to put these concerns, burdens, and needs into His hands. Then we can sit back and wait. And we might as well enjoy the rest while we are waiting.
PRAYER: Father, here are my burdens; I'll rest and wait patiently while You handle them. Amen.
(Taken from "Words of Promise," copyright 1996 (out of print), Concordia Publishing House. For information on other devotional materials, call 1-800-325-3040.
Today's Bible Readings: Jeremiah 50 Hebrews 6
To Download Devotion MP3 to your computer, right click here and select "Save Link As" or "Save Target As" or "Download Linked File As"