The cold water that’s touching my feet as it swayed back and forth teasing me to catch its little waves was a picture of rest and joy.
This is what I loved being in that place. I am free to stare at the never-ending horizon. I never liked swimming by the way. I just wanted my feet to feel the freezing cold of the water on the seashore. Memories from my childhood suddenly rushing through my brain. I could run and chase the water as if I were a child again.
“Thank you, Lord for the water,” my mind whispered as I see the waves running towards me. In awe of the wonderful creation of God, I could not help but see God’s goodness in my life.
Few years back, my life seemed to be in a hurry – to do all the things that I wanted for my life and to put my life in a good success. Through that chaos in life, I had never noticed God was just on the background. I was so busy accomplishing what’s for myself. Until I came to the point of exhaustion – where would this lead me? I was side-tracked and lost my purpose in life except that selfish desire to gain more from the world. I thought one day, I could win. But of course, no matter what we do, the world would always leave us frustrated, alone, and undeserved.
“Lord, it is so tiring.” That was the content of my heart. But I did not know how to get out of that mess. I was so scared that I would make mistakes again and my life would be torn apart. Without realizing it, I had gone too far from the presence of God.
My friend once told me that the most dangerous situation that we could ever have is thinking that we are still okay, but the reality is we are starting to drift away. Suddenly, I was awakened by that reality. All along I thought I was still walking with Him, Yet, I had slowly drifted from my first love.
A Weary Soul
Our souls become weary when we try to do things on our own. Whenever we push our own will, we get tired. Life is meant to be control and manage by God. Yet, because of our stubborn heart, we slap God on the face when we tell Him, “I can do this alone, God. Just watch over there.” For so long, my life was in the cycle of self-reliance. I could say that I became bad because I easily give God the control in some parts of my life. However, not all.
Self-sufficiency is indeed a great stumbling block for surrendering. Sometimes we come to a point where we doubt God’s ability to do. Thus, we control and rely on what we can do instead of waiting on Him.
One of my favorite verses in the Bible is found in Isaiah 40:31, “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
Often times, we resort to find comfort from the wrong directions. But God reminded us that if we wait upon Him, our weary soul will find its renewed strength. I like how this verse use as eagles. I have learned that eagles can fly so high as they possess such strength as compared with other birds. How amazing that those who wait on the Lord will be like eagles – strong and can soar high.
Finding True Rest
When our soul is the restless one, physical rest will not suffice. Sleep, getaway, and other means to rest will just restore our physical exhaustion. Not our soul. Not out mind. Not our heart.
I’m not sure if you have been into a situation where things are just falling apart before your own eyes. The things that you have built on your own started to crumble and shatter. It leaves you restless and hopeless. Your mind is filled with many thoughts that you could not control anymore. It’s tiring. But yes, this happens quite sometimes. I had this moment, too. And I understand how painful it is!
My soul needs rest. In my mind, the word “SELAH” came across so sudden. I often read it in the book of Psalms, and I did not really mind it until such time that I heard it from my mentor. Selah – it means pause or silence. And I believe that this word means so much when we read His Word. Whenever we encounter this, we need to pause and be silent. In other words, we need to meditate more on it because it denotes pondering and thinking over it for a moment.
Our soul, needs it. With all the hustle and bustle of everyday life, our Selah of the soul is very important. Our weary soul needs to be refreshed. It desires to rest after a long journey. In the presence of God is where we can be restored. He is always able to satiate a weary soul and replenish every sorrowful soul (Jeremiah 31:35). The time where we pause and be silent is also the time when we can ponder more. There are moments where things come differently to us because our focus is far from the Lord.
We can never find true rest apart from the Lord. During restless times, remember that His invitation is always available for us: those who are weary and tired, they can come to Him and He will give rest (Matthew 11:28).
Resting in the Lord brings peace and serenity for our longing souls. Trust on the other hand, gives us the assurance that no matter what happens, God is in control. Worries and anxieties won’t take us anywhere. Troubles are life’s accompaniment. It is our choice to either dwell on those or focus on the one who is able to turn those troubles into a purposeful plan.
When was the last time that you had paused and rested in the Lord?
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