The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Psalm 23:1-3 (NIV)
On Wednesday as I was walking to the training session for our office at the Cru conference in Colorado, my right foot started hurting. The more I walked, the more it hurt. When I got back to my room that evening, the top of the foot was quite swollen. I had no idea what caused this problem and still don’t.
But God knows when we need rest. Sometimes He has to force us to take it.
The past two months have been extremely busy – finishing my temporary job, packing up all my stuff and moving to a new apartment, cleaning the old one, wrapping up things in the office before I went to staff training. I was pretty exhausted.
Well, God took care of that. After hurting my foot, I then caught a cold, which normally happens when I breathe re-circulated air on a plane. So when I finally arrived at my sister’s house after flying to Seattle after the training conference, I really crashed (figuratively, not literally).
After taking cold remedies, drinking plenty of liquids elevating my foot and soaking it for five days, I started feeling better and had some energy to do the things I needed to do.
When things have to be done, I tend to push until they are completed, especially if there are deadlines or it affects other people. Sometimes that means I don’t take the time to rest as I should.
God often forces me to lie down and be refreshed, because, like sheep, I often don’t have the common sense to do it on my own.
Do you need rest, either physical or spiritual? What is the status of your soul? Is He using circumstances in your life to get your attention?
God can restore you. Why not allow Him to do so?
Lines from Lynn 