When my kids were young I used to read stories to them at night. Frog and Toad was a favorite. Recently one of my daughters gave me a T-shirt with a quote on the front saying:
She knew this picture of rest and enjoying a sunrise in silence would hit the mark with me.
It’s been a rough year, with no signs of letting up. Daily violence, mass shootings, sexual sin everywhere (including in the church, with exposures of pastors and ministry leaders taking place every day), chaos, lies, and instability in our bankrupt government, darkness on rampage. Now we find ourselves in the Christmas season, when it’s easy to get spun up by doing and running. More exhaustion. The soul must have rest; in a world in turmoil we need binges of quiet, rest, and peace.
We could use a liberal dose of the Frog and Toad, or rather, the Rogue Christian way of life right now.
Watching a sunset or sunrise.
Taking a walk.
Doing nothing.
Resting in silence with God.
Releasing every burden and care in prayer.
Winding down, taking time to reflect, enjoy, and seek God.
Choosing joy no matter where we find ourselves (this is easier said than done, I know, but we can get there).
Speaking to God from the heart: “Jesus, I want to know You, enjoy You. I love You. You are the source of my life, my love, my everything.”
This isn’t a message we hear often this time of the year. Or the rest of the year. There’s a lot of talk about Jesus’ birth and promotion of Christmas events at church this time of the year, but will we hear “I know many of you are worn out, beat up, and burnt out. Please slow down. Don’t feel pressured to sign up to help or wear yourself out going from event to event, especially if you’re hurting. Your heart matters to God. We care about your heart too.”
Do you see how Rogue this Frog and Toad thing is?
We can blow by the Christmas season and barely stop long enough to enjoy communion with God and His creation, all while our soul is crying out for rest and peace. If we’re too busy to spend time with God, we’re too busy. We either build our life around God and let our life flow from the wellspring of our relationship with Him, or we our build our lives around the crazy and go mad along with it. Then we’re vulnerable to looking for life and comfort in the wrong places.
Psych meds, anyone?
“And he said to them, ‘Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.”
Mark 6:31
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30
Vance Havner wrote:
“My Bible verse this morning says: “And Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening” (Genesis 24:63). Isaac would get a lot of hard looks today if he ventured forth just to be still and think. Your average efficient American rushing to his next engagement as fast as his ulcers will allow would make no sense of Isaac. He might dismiss him as being off in the head or maybe a spy who ought to have a look from the FBI. There is no place for contemplative Isaacs in this present setup. The prince of this world has cleverly geared everything to choke out all but the go-getters. And when you watch them go and see what they get, you wonder how a generation that calls itself intelligent ever got taken for such a ride or sold down the river on such a deal.”
Havner wrote the above in 1956.
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.”
Psalm 23:1-3
It has always struck me how God often has to make us rest.
People who can rest in silence for an extended time are rare. We surely aren’t trained for silence in church where there is constant noise and activity. I would love to be in a church where they spent 15 minutes in silence, resting, praying, waiting on God. Many might be squirming for the first few minutes, but after everyone settles in, oh how wonderful it is to soak in His presence and hear His voice.
“For God alone my soul waits in silence;
from him comes my salvation.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.”
Psalm 62:1-2
Prayer, silence, rest, and peace are gift-wrapped together.
This week, and every week, take time, every day, to rest with God.
PS – if you want to give God a gift, give Him your time, alone, with your love and your heart. Since giving gifts is a part of the Christmas tradition, should we not want to give Him who poured everything out for us a blessing?
