God’s Rest Stops
November 1, 2007
Bible Reading: But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. ~ 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NKJV)
Bonus Reading: Hebrews 13:20-21
Perhaps the most stupid act I’ve ever done on a motorcycle was attempting to drive 900 miles across the entire state (some people say ‘country’) of Texas in one day—on just two hours of sleep. At 26 I thought I could do just about anything. But I found out I couldn’t do 900 miles in one stretch. I learned, however, that I could make it 40 miles to a rest area, get a cup of coffee and a doughnut, and drive 40 miles more. I repeated that process for hundreds of miles and, as you can tell, survived.
My experience provides a pattern for the spiritual life. When I first made God the ultimate priority in my life, I asked him to change a specific area that I knew wasn’t right. With His help I could do that one thing, we made some progress, and I was ready to rest. I’d arrived! God gently pointed out another area, we worked on that; then came the next stop with just enough time for coffee and a doughnut, so to speak.
God continues to reveal dimensions in my life that need repair or rebuilding. So far, I’ve hit a lot of rest stops, but I haven’t yet reached the destination of loving God with all my being. It’s called progress.
~Tim Riter from Twelve Lies You Hear in Church
Our lives in the Lord are a journey—not a destination. If we’re honest with ourselves and allow the Spirit to speak to us through life’s circumstances, we learn that we need that next rest stop. Problem is, a lot of us are just riding hard—but don’t know where. And here’s the Truth—God gave us his global positioning system—the Holy Ghost. If we look at His screen, He’ll show us which road to take—and take us to His rest stop. And then, He’ll refresh us with His Word and Sacrament. That’s a promise from the Lord to us, if we’ll take Him up on it.
Once we are reading His map, our heavy load—or long trip—is easy, in Him. And consider this—God provides us a rest stop and refreshment whenever we come to Him—but especially once a week in His House. How are we riding, then—at His pace—or our own?
Will we do it His way—or try it on our own? Why?
Contemplative Prayer: “Holy Spirit, please show me the rest stops you have for me in my life—and Your refreshment to keep me going on Your ride.”
Think about it: Be not afraid of going slowly, be afraid only of standing still. ~Chinese proverb
Grace and peace,
Chip+
