Finding Rest

“The beloved of the Lord rests in safety. The High God surrounds him all day long. The beloved rests between His shoulders.” Deuteronomy 33:12

 The things we face in this life are painful and unpredictable. In this month alone I’ve watched a dear friend’s Father unexpectedly wisked to a hospital and then settled in a Rehab after discovering mercer was found in a would from a previous surgery on his foot months earlier, my own mother put on anti-biotics because of an infected pimple on her leg, walked through a serious crisis scare with a friend from work who's boyfriend is suffering with liver issues, and feared that (as a single 37 year-old) I’ll continue facing these types of difficulties without a partner as the years pass. I know those of you reading this are in the midst of your own challenges and pain, perhaps wondering how to find rest on God’s shoulders. Here are a couple of things that have helped me recently on this journey:


1) Our job is to stay in the ‘here and now’: In Jesus’ words, “Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own”. (Matthew 6:34). By doing what we can to stay present we have more space to invite Jesus in when things fall apart.

 2) We are to practice radical trust and dependence: Resting securely involves trust. To really rest involves letting down our guard and believing that whomever’s in charge knows what they’re doing. Before we can rest on God’s shoulders, we need to internalize that He is for us, and always, always has our best interest at heart.


Easier said than done, yes. But each tiny step we make towards growing our ability to stay present and mindful, as well as risking in trust, also grows our chance to experience God as the safe harbor He is. And I don’t know what better way to face the storms and tempests of life than by finding rest in the God of the universe.



Many blessings,
Elaina