Ilike my hammock. With it hanging between two pine trees, I can climb on, wait for the gentle swaying to stop, and gaze out on the lake that reflects the blue of the sky and the green of the pine trees that ring the shoreline.
There’s not much better than to settle in and rest. Peaceful, quiet rest. Rejuvenating, still rest. What a gift those moments are! The buzz and breakneck pace of most days fades away. The task lists are forgotten. The numerous obligations vanish. Rest. Renewing rest. Ahhh—the way life should be!
The conversation between God and Moses continues. God assures his called one yet again that he and the people of God need not be anxious because God will continue to accompany them—guiding, protecting, providing. “My presence will go with you.”
And likewise important is God’s second promise: “I will give you rest.” God knows that the generations-long trek in the wilderness will be arduous. Daily living will be far from easy, and the wilderness living will stretch on for years and decades. Even so, God’s faithful assurance is strongly gentle, “I will give you rest.”
Many of us hear this blessing of God echoed in Jesus’ extraordinary invitation, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). Or, to put it another way, when daily life turns into a struggle, and we feel like some ancient beast of burden, Jesus will be an oasis of restful peace.
When living seems too much to manage, circumstances too difficult to cope with, the future too gloomy to consider—call time out. Stop and discover the nurturing, renewing gift of the Holy One . . . rest.