Michelle Smith

With the ongoing turmoil and stormy chaos erupting in our nation I’ve been thinking a lot about the necessity of rest. By rest, I don’t mean simply getting a good night’s sleep, though that is essential – I am referring to something more vital and of utmost importance, and that is the practice of finding safe harbor and rest for our soul.

Living south of Alpena, I frequently spot Great Lake freighters anchored offshore while they wait out the stormy weather and buffeting winds. Obviously, based on training, experience and available data, the ship’s captain has determined that the best location for his ship is that of resting in the protection and security of Lake Huron’s Thunder Bay.

The Great Lakes are known for their frequent and intense storms and a captain’s utmost priority is always the safety and preservation of his crew and his ship. Resting at a standstill, seemingly “inactive”, is truly the best possible course of action for this ship and its crew.

May I suggest that each of us needs to learn the practice of being “still” and resting – for the act of rest allows our mind, body and spirit to be refreshed and renewed. In Matthew 6:31-32, Jesus and His disciples were being inundated with so many people coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat and He said to them, “Come apart with me to a quiet place and get some rest.” So, they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.

My husband and I have reminded ourselves of this spiritual practice over the years by saying to one another, “We need to get apart with Jesus before we fall apart”.

Being still is emphasized throughout the Bible as an important “action” or should I say, non-action. What I mean when I describe being still as an action is that it is an act that we choose to practice by purposefully looking away from the plethora of distractions that call to us and ceasing from our constant activities to simply “be still” with God – actively cultivating an awareness of His presence and resting in the moment.

God actually commands that we take a Sabbath rest, a time for ceasing from our labors. If you are performance based and tend to live life full speed ahead, resting will feel unproductive. You are likely to label any effort at resting as laziness and a waste of time.

Not so!! Later in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus offers another invitation, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest”. A divine exchange takes place.

The care, burdens, worries and pressures of this world can wear on us causing stress, anxiety, fear and even physical exhaustion – emotional stress can be more draining than physical labor. Resting in the Lord allows us to quiet our inner being in order to recognize our

striving, worries and burdens, and instead of continually laboring under the weight of them, to take them to God, prayerfully inviting His intervention and consciously giving them over to Him.

There have been many evenings when the lights of multiple vessels can be seen blinking through the darkness of night as they anchor in the bay. A lake freighter’s anchor is designed for reliability and stability, being constructed of high-strength steel and weighing thousands of pounds. A well anchored freighter will be protected from drifting, grounding or capsizing.

How can we be anchored and protected from drifting or capsizing in this life? There is a promise found in Hebrews 6:19-20, “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf”.

The Apostle Paul instructed us to “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and specific petition, continue to make your request known to God, with thanksgiving”. He follows with this promise, “the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus”.

And “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging…Be still and know that I am God”, (Psalm 46:1-3, 10).

The Hebrew word translated “be still” means be alone, to stay, to set yourself apart and be at rest. The practice of resting deepens our relationship with God, making us more aware of His continual presence. As we invite God “into” our lives we learn to let go of control or the need to be in charge and to trust Him.

You are invited to BE STILL.