“Our ability to rest peacefully is directly tied to our degree of trust in those who are guiding us.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – April 21, 2022
Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world. Psalm 46:10, NLT
I recently ran into a significant travel delay while flying home from New York with my wife and daughter. A flight that was meant to leave by 6pm didn’t take off until 10:30pm, which meant we didn’t arrive at our home until 2am. Understandably, our 10 year old’s stamina eventually gave out, and within minutes was sound asleep in the back seat of the car.
As we made our way home that night, I reflected on the contrast between me and my daughter. Having navigated subway trains, taxis, airports, and airplanes, her arrival at our car was an entry into a place of safety and familiarity. It was here that she could let her guard down and be at peace and enter into a place of rest. On the other hand, as I sat behind the wheel I found myself as attentive and alert as I’d been the entire trip! If ever there was a moment that I needed to be responsible and attentive, this was it. My wife and daughter’s safety depended on my ability to stay alert and guide us home.
The more I’ve reflected on this situation, the more convinced I am that these realities are closely related. In all of life, our ability to rest peacefully is directly tied to our degree of trust in those who are guiding us. This is true of earthly relationships, such as a mentor, parent, or boss, yet it is all the more true of our relationship with God. We grow as people of peace when our trust in the goodness and protection of God settles deep within our hearts.
If you find yourself in a place of chronic anxiety, might it be that you have insisted on taking the driver’s seat, rather than discovering the freedom of resting peacefully in the back seat? Of course, this is a remarkably hard thing to do! We are conditioned at every turn to be the masters of our own destiny, to grab life by the horns and pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps. If we don’t look out for ourselves, then who will? Yet the heart of the Christian life is surrender, letting go of our self-dependence and learning to find ourselves in the all-powerful hands of our loving Lord. May we today remember that Christ is at the helm, daily leading us into places of peace.
Prayer
Father, help us to cease from striving and rest in your guiding and protecting hand, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Application
In what ways are you most tempted to take control of your story and destination, rather than resting in the guiding hand of God?
Related Reading
Exodus 14:13; Psalm 48:10; Psalm 100:3
Worship Resource
Paul Zach feat. Liz Vice: God is the Friend of Silence
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