I have been told I am a “Type A” personality. Production oriented, rather impatient and a multi-tasker, which all were rather beneficial in the working world. However, take that personality disposition and the scriptural mandate to rest and wait patiently for God to act and you have an seeming dis-connect.

Hebrews 4:9-12

9 So there remains a [full and complete] Sabbath rest for the people of God. 10 For the one who has once entered His rest has also rested from [the weariness and pain of] his [human] labors, just as God rested from [those labors uniquely] His own. 11 Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest [of God, to know and experience it for ourselves], so that no one will fall by following the same example of disobedience [as those who died in the wilderness]. 12 For the word of God is living and active and full of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged [f]sword, penetrating as far as the division of the [g]soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart.

I am confident that God created me to be who I am so as I was meditating on the concept of rest as defined in Hebrews I asked for some help.

In that moment the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said; when you order something you have searched for and found on Amazon prime you make your order. When the confirmation comes through that the order is received and should ship in a couple of days what do you do? Well, I forget about it and move on to the next thing. What I don’t do is worry every day until it arrives that maybe Amazon really didn’t get my order or maybe they will ship the wrong thing or maybe the truck will break down and I will never get what I requested! Of course I don’t do any of those things. I rest in the fact that what has been promised will arrive. Its been paid for and confirmed. Amazon is reliable. In fact many times I am surprised when my package arrives because I had put its fulfillment out of my mind, that is the kind of trust I have in my prime account.

The children of Israel did not rest in the dessert. They grumbled and because they did not have instant access to the land promised them their faith and consequent rest was vanquished. This was due to disobedience. God promised and they were to trust Him to provide. Instead they complained around delays and resorted to fashioning idols created by their own hands to take care of their needs. Sounds familiar.

Waiting on God for answers to our prayers can be challenging and usually is. We live in a rather instant culture. Our expectations for answers are fashioned by the speed of Google. Trusting God requires that we remind ourselves of His nature, His love for us and that what He has promised will come to pass. Trusting God takes intentionality, renewing our minds with the word of God and believing Him.

2 Corinthians 1:20 Amplified Bible (AMP)

20 For as many as are the promises of God, in Christ they are [all answered] “Yes.” So through Him we say our “Amen” to the glory of God.

Dave and I are praying about some large next steps in our life journey as well as for our children’s. We and they need concrete clear direction. He has promised to provide exactly that. However, while we wait the temptation to either worry or take things into our own hands is great.

The Hebrew word for rest is nuach- to rest, to be quiet. Sometimes, it is synonymous to shabat- to cease or to rest. The Greek word for rest is anapausis meaning cessation, refreshment.

Rest is freedom from work, toil, strain or activity, rest from mental exertion or rest of body or mind. A body is at rest, when it ceases to move. The mind is at rest, when it ceases to be disturbed or agitated.

That quiet undisturbed trust allows me to relax my grip, cease from my own efforts and in doing so experience refreshment. I love that. I need that!

It reminds me of the 23 Psalm of David:

1 The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.

God is much more trustworthy than Amazon! He makes me lie down where there is plenty, leading me to quiet, not turbulent waters where my mind, body, and emotions can be refreshed. He will lead me along the right paths. I can trust Him and all of His promises.