Resting in God's Love

If God doesn't build the house, the builders only build shacks.
   If God doesn't guard the city,
      the night watchman might as well nap.
   It's useless to rise early and go to bed late,
      and work your worried fingers to the bone.
   Don't you know he enjoys
      giving rest to those he loves?  -- Psalm 127:1-2 (The Message)

We work really hard to create our lives.  We claim a self-sufficiency and operate under an illusion that all is under our control.  We plan, set goals, implement the plans, evaluate, and adjust.  The future is in our hands.  We believe we have the world by the tail.  Only it isn't.

I sometimes get an image in my mind to paint.  Yet, when I sit down to paint, I can never make it look as well as I see the picture in my mind.  Such are the paintings and plans we do on our own.  We can lay awake at night worrying how to improve our lot.  We can wake up early and work our fingers to the bone trying to make our plans pan out.

Doing anything without God goes harder, and comes together less perfectly with less
satisfaction.  Without God we have to work so hard that we forget to rest.  Working one's plans with God alongside allows for rest, as God handles a lot of details while we sleep.  "Don't you know he enjoys giving rest to those he loves?"  Putting our lives and plans alongside God's will bring a rested success that all the best plans and work on our own can never achieve.  Trust God for perfection and rest in it.

Prayer:

Lord speak to us and lead us in your ways that we might find a deep rest in your care and love.  Amen.