Rest

"As I swore in my wrath, They shall not enter my rest. . . So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief." Heb 3: 11-19

I consistently fall into the trap of thinking that if only I could get the proper amount of time away from my work, or go on a real sabbatical, or maybe even get 8 plus hours of sleep per night I might finally feel rested.  But the heart of the matter lies not so much with the rejuvenation of my body, but with the rejuvenation of my heart.

And so in order to find the rest that I need to carry out the work I have been called to, I need to seek out not just time off, but time with my Lord, the giver of life and the rest that He provides through His strengthening Spirit.  Rest for us in God is rest forever.  Let our prayer be then that we have belief in Him with the finality being a rest that is eternal and real.

Advent Musings

"A voice cries in the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord:  make straight in the desert a highway for our God."  Isaiah 40:3

This Advent season is proving to be one of great preparation for me.  And well it should be.  Advent is the season in which we prepare our hearts for the coming of the Christ, our Saviour.  Perhaps more than any other Advent season, this year is allowing me to prepare myself by looking into my heart, which is in turn the catalyst for driving me to Christ and the miracle of his birth.

As I ponder the hardness of heart, the lack of grace, and my critical nature in general, I recognize a darkness in my spirit that is devoid of life and warmth.  Despite my greatest efforts I can not fill this void or add heat to my cold heart.  Only God, through Christ, is able

And so I pray that this season of lights proves to be a season in which my dark heart is illuminated by His grace, love, and sacrifice.  Praise be to God, for his gift of Light and Life, and may His Spirit cause me to make straight in the desert of my heart a highway for our God.