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Sit Still! Resting in
God's Promises The little girl sat on the pew restlessly. She tried sitting properly, like a lady, with both feet on the floor and her hands resting quietly in her lap. That didn't seem to work. Her feet, after all, didn't touch the floor, and besides, that was just too boring. She tried sitting with one foot tucked under her leg, placing her arms behind her head on the back of the pew. That was way too uncomfortable. Next, she crossed one leg over the other, imitating the pastor's wife and the other fashionable teenage girls in the church. That didn't suit her well either. It might have made her look like a grown-up, but she couldn't bear the way her legs went to sleep when they were in that position. The girl shook both legs and tried to think of another way to sit, wondering why the minister had to preach for so long. Suddenly the jerky movements of a small bug on the floor grabbed her attention. She leaned forward, mesmerized, and watched it carefully as it crawled toward the heating vent. Before she could see what happened to the beetle, her reverie was interrupted by a tap on her shoulder, a signal from her exasperated mother that she was in deep trouble. With a sharp tone, her mother whispered the phrase that she always saved for those moments when her patience was worn thin by her curious daughter, "Sit still!" Her mother's command pierced the air, and, although it appeared to other church members to hold no immediate threat, the small girl knew very well the consequences of not following her mother's instructions. The restlessness of the small girl, who had such a difficult time sitting still during church on a sleepy Sunday morning, is like the restlessness of many young adults today. One of our greatest challenges is sitting still, waiting on God's will and the fulfillment of His promises. Discouragement in the dismal, mundane, daily details of life overcome us like a cloud. We are distracted by more exciting things, and we continually wish we were somewhere else, doing something else, and being someone else. Despite our steadfast faith in God and our confidence that He has our lives in control, we become more and more restless, wondering when these promises will come to pass, worrying and analyzing, doubting our choices, and questioning whether or not we are in God's will. It becomes increasingly hard for us to sit still, resting in God's promises and His perfect plan. This challenge of seeing beyond life's circumstances and trusting in His promises is not unique to today's society. Indeed, children of God have faced the difficult task of waiting on God from the beginning of time. The story of Ruth, a Jewish proselyte, and the daughter-in-law of Naomi is recorded in the Old Testament. Ruth showed her great devotion to God by leaving her homeland and working hard to support her mother-in-law, all while maintaining her character. She trusted in God's promise to provide for her, and she carefully followed the admonitions of her mother-in-law. Yet, she still got nervous, wondering whether or not everything would work out in her life. Naomi advised her to "Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall . . ." (Ruth 3:18). It is obvious that resting in God is a difficult task, yet the Bible places continual emphasis on its importance. The weekly Jewish observation of the Sabbath is based upon this notion. In addition, in Psalms, the Lord is described as a refuge and strength, and believers are commanded to "rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him . . . " (Psalm 37:7). They are also told to "be still, and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10). Furthermore, in the New Testament, Jesus promoted peace, even in the middle of storms, "And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still" (Mark 4:39). In addition, believers can have rest in their lives through the wonderful gift of the Holy Ghost, which is defined as a type of rest and refreshing (Isaiah 28:12). Believers are urged to enter into this rest (Hebrews 4). This peaceful and refreshing rest seems impossible in a success-driven society that thrives on constant activity. Our lives are great balancing acts between the demands of career, college, family, friends, and church responsibilities. Multi-tasking is considered the norm, and it is not uncommon to see drivers speeding down the highway, talking on their cell phones, listening to the radio, drinking a beverage, eating a snack, and looking through their Palm Pilots for directions all at the same time. From sunrise to sunset, individuals, young and old alike, constantly head from one activity to the next, in a rush to stay busy. This same attitude carries over into our spiritual walks. Wait on God? Rest in Him? How do I do that? Many may wonder, “Shouldn't I be working toward His will and striving to obtain His promises?” However, God does not have this perspective. While it is important to stay busy and do all we can for God, we must realize that we do not have the power to obtain God's promises on our own. Indeed, God wants us to wait on Him. His good, perfect, and acceptable will can only be obtained through prayer, seeking guidance through His Word and godly mentors, and allowing our faith and trust in Him to grow. We must place Him first, above our college classes, our family, our friends, our careers, and even our involvement in church activities. Like the little girl sitting in Sunday School on a sleepy Sunday morning, we must stop swinging our legs of impatience, avert our eyes from distractions, regain our focus, and sit back and relax in the assurance that the God who put the desires in our heart from the beginning will complete His work in our lives (Philippians 1:6). For it is only when we sit still and trust in God's promises that we will find the true rest of God. ninetyandnine.com © 2003, Sara Darst --------- Sara Darst is a proud graduate of Ohio State University and Indiana Bible College. Most of her time is spent with her 23 students, and she is still puzzled over an incident that occurred in her classroom several months ago when she caught one of her students headed to the cafeteria with a small plastic case containing a hamster. Despite this and many other interesting moments, she loves her job as a 3rd grade teacher in a public elementary school, and she also enjoys the many opportunities to be involved in her church. |
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