Lent for the Weary

@audreycfrank

In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it (Isaiah 30:15).

We so often fight against the rest God offers.

Instead of repenting, resting in His sovereignty over our lives, quieting our souls and trusting God, we flee. And our pursuers flee swiftly after us. (See Isaiah 30:16-17.)

The word for rest here is also used in Exodus 14:14, that famous moment when the Israelites crossed the sea on dry land, only to look behind them to see the Egyptians marching in pursuit with full strength.

The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still (Exodus 14:14).

How ridiculous the wisdom of God seems in the face of our fiercest battles, the moments we can see the enemy with our own eyes and hear his thundering footsteps drawing nigh.

Yet our God is not faint of heart, nor does He fail us.

I once was making the descent down majestic Mount Kenya and came face to face with one of the deadliest killers in East Africa, the water buffalo. They are infamous for goring tourists who get too close in their natural habitat.

The climb to the peak had taken us three days and we were on our way back to base camp. Exhilarated and overflowing with praise, I marched ahead of my group, earbuds in my ears, worshiping God as I went. The air was crisp, the sun beaming through the exquisite canopy overhead.

The mighty creature quietly and slowly ambled out of the trees into my path. At first, I did not even see him, for my eyes were lifted to the heavens, fixed on the Creator of the magnificent beauty around me. A frantic whistle from my companions alerted me. Looking back, I saw their faces frozen in terror, arms frantically pointing ahead. Turning around, I stopped short.

The giant was taking measure of me, making his decision.

I was trained to stand completely still if I encountered animals in the bush, but until now I had never had to do it. To remain still in the face of potential destruction was counterintuitive and unnatural. Our instinct is to flee from danger.

As the buffalo stared at me, I felt a strange sense of peace. I knew I would be okay, although it made no sense. I actually had a heightened awareness of how beautiful the massive creature was, how remarkable his curved horns and giant brown eyes. I could not be moved from the posture of praise he had found me in, despite the danger he represented.

Some would call me foolish.

Slowly turning his head, he made his decision. As the beast disappeared in the emerald green of the mountain, I remembered to breathe. My husband and our two friends raced to my side, scolding and hugging me all at once.

If they were to retell the story today, they would say I was not paying attention and almost got killed.

I would say that I was focused exactly where I needed to be. My heart and mind were fixed upon the Maker of both me and the water buffalo, the Creator of both the mountain and the valley. Praise enabled me to stand completely still when logic said to flee from danger.

Yes, standing still seems ridiculous as we stand face to face with our enemy.

Yet our God is not faint of heart, nor does he fail us. Instead, He fights for us.

But first, before the rest, the standing still, there is one thing that is needed.

Repentance brings rest. Repentance from resisting Him, repentance from not believing He fights for us, repentance for fighting our battles in our own strength and with our own logic.

Lent is a time of repentance and reflection. It is also a time ripe with promise. When we repent, we are promised #rest, salvation, and strength. Click To Tweet

What wearies you today? From what do you need to be rescued? For what do you need strength? The starting place might surprise you. Repentance means to turn away from evil and turn toward good. Ask the Lord, who examines the heart and mind, to show you what is keeping you from His promises.

Lord, give me the courage to even ask You to examine my heart. Then examine it, and lead me through repentance to rest and strength. Amen.