“I love the Lord, because he has heard
my voice and my pleas for mercy.Because he inclined his ear to me,
therefore I will call on him as long as I live.The snares of death encompassed me;
the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
I suffered distress and anguish.Then I called on the name of the Lord:
“O Lord, I pray, deliver my soul!”Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
our God is merciful.The Lord preserves the simple;
when I was brought low, he saved me.Return, O my soul, to your rest;
for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.” - Psalm 116:1-7“Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!” - Psalm 46:10
Today is the Lord’s Day. A day of rest. Or so we are told. This outpost of refreshment, pause, and blessing in the midst of lives that we fill to overflowing with activity and responsibility. Why is it that ‘busy,’ is the response we both offer and receive when we are asked ‘how are you doing?’ Perhaps technology, social media, and cultural expectations influence our lives toward this end. But isn’t it interesting we ask - how are you doing? The gift of rest is not about doing - but about being. Being loved and worthy of dignity, value, and worth apart from our accomplishments. This is the gift of the Examen in rest - to recognize that we are more than what we have, are, or will do - we rest in the righteousness of Christ. We rest in the reality that nothing can snatch us from the hand of Christ.
We rest in knowing that our God will never leave us or forsake us. We rest.
Take a moment to breathe and be still.
God, would you still my anxious heart and quiet my crowded mind this week?