Never Thought About Rest Like This Before

It’s been so many restless years. Seeking rest. Seeking Rest. Many times seeking it restlessly, ironically. Today, as I cleaned some pots in the sink, a song bubbled up. It’s one my youth group leader led us to sing with his guitar around campfires and Ranchito parking lots.

“Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary

Pure and holy, tried and true.

With thanksgiving, I’ll be a living

Sanctuary for you.”

I thought of the verse about despseratly longing for a sanctuary and a resting place. It’s possible I forgot that Holy Spirit is looking for that on earth too.

Recently, we took refuge in a place where sleep comes deeply and easily. It’s miraculous. Soon as I walked in the door, my shoulders relaxed. I felt my held-back breath exhale finally. And as I prayed that night, these words overflowed:

“Lord, thank you for bringing us to a resting place.”

For a weary traveler, resting places are not just a luxury, they are a lifeline.

And it’s amazing. Less than 24 hours after the Lord met my desperate need for a resting place, here I am singing about how I can be a resting place for the Lord.

Maybe in all the years of distress, I’ve been missing a massive piece of the whole puzzle.

When we get still and know He is God… When we praise the Lord in all His goodness… It brings us to a resting place in Him. It also makes us a resting place for Him. How did I not see this before?

I think of when David wanted to build a temple for the Lord and said he could not rest until he had a dwelling place on earth for the Lord. When Jesus died and rose again and sent believers His Holy Spirit to dwell in them, we became that temple for the Lord. Our bodies become living temples where Holy Spirit can abide and live and dwell… and rest.

Rest isn’t just some far off destination nor a distant Someone I need to get to. Rest is found in Jesus Christ. But we can also invite Holy Spirit to rest in us. We don’t have to work hard to get to a place of rest. We can invite Rest to dwell in us.

In His presence is fullness of joy. He inhabits the praises of His people. He’s my refuge and fortress. He is my sanctuary and resting place. And the wonder is that He chose me to be His! He calls me His temple and His dwelling place. While He is my resting place, I am His resting place too.

Somehow this makes rest feel closer than it ever has. It’s more intimate than I ever knew. It brings a whole new level of understanding to when Jesus talked about the vine and the branches in John 15:4-11:

“Abide in me, and I will abide in you.”  

Abide, live, dwell, rest in me. And I will abide, live, dwell, rest in you.

What a sacred honor.