Where do you find rest?

Here’s a excerpt for a post by one of my favorite authors and teachers, Paul David Tripp. It is about resting when our lives are out of control or something goes awry with our plans for our lives; such as a cancer diagnosis. What is it in your life? And where do you find rest in the midst of it?

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Here’s where I think that we make our mistake. I think that we become convinced that we will only be able to rest when we fully understand what’s going on in our lives; that rest is the product, the result, of understanding. And the Bible actually doesn’t teach us that! The Bible actually teaches that real rest is found, not in understanding, because you will never understand everything in your life. Real rest is only ever found in placing your trust in the Person Who is carefully and wisely writing your story for you!

What does it mean? Well, it means that your life is never out of control. Sure, it will be out of your control a lot of the time, but it’s never out of Ultimate Control, because according to Paul, God is in intimate personal contact and control of the specific details of your life. How specific, you may ask? Paul says that He determines the exact places where we all live. Your address. Your city. Your time of life. It’s all an expression of God’s plan! And why is this so comforting? Because Paul goes on to say that God involves Himself with the details of our lives so that He’s always near; in order that, at any moment, we could reach out and touch Him, because He’s not far from each one of us.

You see, even though I am regularly surprised and regularly confused, even though it would be often honest for me to say, “I don’t have a clue what’s going on!,” God is never surprised! And God is never confused. He always has His hands on the joystick! And He is the Ultimate Source of wisdom, and love, and power. Let me say it again: Real rest is not found in understanding, because you will never come to understand everything in your life. Real rest is found in trusting the Person Who is in control of the details of your life.

You see, you and I do not have to crumble when we do not understand. We do not have to be paralyzed with fear because our plans have blown up in our face. We do not have to dread what the next day will bring. We don’t have to panic because life is bigger than us and confusing to us. You see, you and I can rest, really rest, because God is wise, loving, and powerful, and He is in moment by moment control of every detail of our lives! (Paul Tripp Ministries, February 2012 eNewsletter)

To read the whole post go here.

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I think that for a lot of these last few months I have not been resting. I’ve been trying to understand. I’ve been trying to learn something so this time is not wasted. I think it is time to rest.

Grace to you,

jane