Tuesday 24 February 2009

Rest

"Do you recollect the delicious sense of rest with which you have sometimes gone to bed after a day of great exertion and weariness? How delightful was the sensation of relaxing every muscle, and letting your body go in perfect abandonment of ease and comfort. The strain of the day has eased, for a few hours at least, and the work of the day had been laid off. You no longer had to hold up an aching head or a weary back. You trusted yourself to the bed in absolute confidence, and it held you up, without effort or strain, or even thought on your part. You rested!

But suppose you had doubted the strength or stability of your bed, and had dreaded each moment to find it giving way below you and landing you on the floor; could you have rested then? Would not every muscle have strained in a fruitless effort to hold yourself up, and would not the weariness have been greater if you had not gone to bed at all?

Let this analogy teach you what it means to rest in the Lord. Let your souls lie down upon the couch of his sweet will, as your bodies lie down in their beds at night. Relax every strain and lay off every burden. Let yourself go in that perfect abandonment of ease and comfort, sure that, since He holds you up you are perfectly safe. Your part is simply to rest. His part is to sustain you; and He cannot fail."

Taken from 'The Christian's secret of a Happy Life' by Hannah Whitall Smith

6 comments:

  1. Is it any wonder that there are so many people suffering from anxiety?! Not when there is no faith in the loving kindness of God!

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  2. Thankyou for sharing this. I am soooo very tired and weary today...body and soul, and I will think apon this as I lay down in my bed tonight. I snuck this book from my mom a few years back (intrigued by the title no doubt)but I don't recall ever reading it. Should probably dig it up. :)

    BTW, love the new look, it's very peaceful here.

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  3. I am glad you enjoyed it! I have been suffering from nasty cold and stomach flues and prevelant boils lately, so I have hardly been able to think lately. It is funny how muddle headed one can get when our body is so worn down. But I also find I am pushed to think on things more than I might if I was super healthy and busy and comfortable. If that makes sense. . . I am glad we have a resident healer :) I hope that you are renewed and stirred up in His love! I ask Him for that for you and me!

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  4. Is this the MOST beautiful blog or WHAT?? FABULOUSLY BEAUTIFUL! :D

    This post, which I love, made me think of these words of Billy Joel's,

    "When you touch my weary head
    And you tell me everything will be all right
    You say, "Use my body for your bed
    And my love will keep you warm throughout the night"
    Well I'll never be a stranger and I'll never be alone
    Whenever we're together, that's my home."

    I love the thought that Jesus' body is my bed but just as important, I have now become His home, His bed, His pleasure dome...

    Blessings to you and yours.

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  5. Thanks Jamie!

    I figured it was time to do something with this page. . .

    What you say is true. I just love the Rest! It goes with the song posted on your blog. . . Let Go Now. There is much that is accomplished (without trying) in that posture!

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