Where is your resting place?
Yesterday, as I sat with the Lord, cup of coffee in-hand, I opened my Bible directly to Jeremiah 50:6:
“My people have been lost sheep; their shepherds have caused them to go astray and caused them to roam on the mountains. They have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their resting place.“
The final words of this verse stood out as if they were boldly written and highlighted just for me:
They have forgotten their resting place.
I instantly felt hot tears flood my eyes, knowing it was exactly meant for me.
To be honest, my squad and I have walked through a lot over the course of the last month; we were quarantined (and all separated, countries apart) for nearly a month; we experienced many abrupt, painful goodbyes (or no goodbyes at all) as our close brothers and sisters left the race; and we have experienced a fair amount of squad politics and division.
A lot of this has personally affected me more than I had realized.
I thought I was mostly fine. That is, until I sat across from my good friend this morning, sharing my heart about everything, as tears streamed down my face.
The answer was written all over her face; she had no idea I had been going through so much. I had suppressed a lot over the course of the last month. I explained to her that I had been coping in avoidant ways, rather than finding my resting place in the Lord.
Resting in the Lord means taking everything to the Lord, laying it all at his feet, and allowing him to take on all our burdens.
“In you, Lord my God, I put my trust.” Psalm 25:11
Today, I am choosing to intentionally continue to realign my heart with the Father’s and lay my hardships and heartaches at His feet.
“Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7
It’s often easy for me to turn to friends, movies, social media, exploration, and even ministry to avoid sitting with the hard things before Jesus.
However, we are not called to do this. We are called to sit at the feet of Jesus, troubles and all, as we welcome him into these areas of our lives to make right what has gone wrong (and to thank him for all the good!)
Jesus takes what the enemy means for evil and turns it to good.
“You planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result—the survival of many people.” Genesis 50:20
Take whatever is on your heart today—painful, good, and ugly—to the Lord Jesus. Set it at his feet and rest in His presence today.
“I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.” Psalm 34:4
Reading your post makes my heart ache and then soar. There is nothing more painful than relationships that end for whatever reason. Thank you for sharing the verse that spoke to you. I am praying for you as your heart rests in Him.
Thank you so much for this. It is so true, when we have burdens we sometimes try to run to everybody or everything before God. I think that is what makes us human. Our flesh wants someone in person, someone who will understand our pain in hurts. But what we need to remember, and I am guilty of this too, that God is all we need. He is so faithful. And when we land at his feet in humility, the peace that surpasses all understanding is overwhelmingly given. Keep fighting the good fight.
Sweet Victoria,
You are wise beyond your years. It’s easy to get wrapped up in all the things around us and lose our focus. I’m guilty of that many times over. When we put our trust in the Lord and give our worries to Him, He will give us hope and bless us many times over.
Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD.
Jeremiah 17:7
I love you, sweet baby girl, and I’m praying for you, your team, your squad, and your leadership.
So true Victoria! I pray that resting in His presence fills you with sweet joy, peace, and rest!
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” Victoria, It blesses me to read your humble words, knowing they are flowing from your sincere and beautiful heart. God has greater plans for you than you could ever imagine. May He continue to surround you with a hedge of protection with all His guardian angels. Our prayers are with you and He is with you even in the darkest hours of the night.
So sweet and so so true. Thank you for this reminder of how the Lord wants all the details, the grievances, the burdens on our heart for His yoke is easy!