Give Me No Rest

Tonight's entry will be relatively short.  I have a lot on my mind that I need to process, and I don't really feel like I'm in a position to post an inspiring word.  But, in keeping with yesterday's lesson, I'm going to follow through with my commitment to write something each day for a year.  I know it's only day four and already I'm giving myself a pep talk, but I still think I can do this (yeah, that's pretty much the pep talk)!

Although a portion of my day was difficult and disappointing, I am amazed at how intimately God knows me and cares for me.  If anyone can claim the excuse of being too busy to meet with me, it is him, yet he is the first to give me his full attention, and I know that my hardship is not trifling in his eyes (Nehemiah 9:32).  Even more amazing is the fact that he asks us to pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and to give him no rest (Isaiah 62:6-7)!  I can, at any time, as often as I want, bring anything to him without fear of ridicule or judgment.  My feelings are not wrong, or silly, or irrational, or inconvenient.  They are responses to difficulty, and God gently shapes them to reflect his own heart regarding the situation, no matter how small.

In church and small group, there has been a recent focus on prayer.  A question that keeps coming up is, "Why do we pray if God already knows what is going to happen?"  I don't have a hard and fast answer for that.  There are instances in the Bible when people wrestle with God in prayer, but his mind is made up and will not change.  There are other instances when people pray and God bends his plan.  I'm not sure what makes one prayer more effective than another, or if that is even the cause for different responses.  But I do know that God invites us to participate in carrying out his will.

When I thought about that tonight, I envisioned a mother allowing her young child to help her bake a cake.  The mother does not need the help of her son or daughter.  In fact, she would most likely do a better job in a shorter amount of time without ten little grubby fingers grabbing at the batter and dropping eggs on the floor.  But the mother delights in her child's giggles and remembers the joy and wonder of her work when her child watches wide-eyed through the oven window as the cake bubbles and breathes.  In the same way, the Lord delights in us (Zephaniah 3:17) and is passionate about his relationship with us (Exodus 34:14; isn't it interesting that he says this before giving us any commandments?).  It is his joy to involve us in the ins and outs of his plan.

I have heard the Lord described as merciful, sufficient, sovereign, omniscient, forgiving, righteous...and a long list of other words that are accurate, but have become somewhat impersonal.  If I had to label my opinion of him at this very moment in our journey, I would simply say that he is kind.  He has befriended me and pursued me both gently and relentlessly.  He has used prayer to prepare my heart to respond with gratitude to situations that would normally inspire bitterness.  Because of his desire to include me in his will, I have ventured to countries on the opposite side of the world and into the homes of dear friends just down the road.  And no matter what happens next on this journey, I know that he will be with me constantly until he has finished giving me everything that he has promised (Genesis 28:15).  So until that day, I will give the Lord no rest.