The Necessity of Rest
The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters. (Psalm 23:1-2 – NASB)
I was rushed to hospital three times in the past month, having had to call 911.
I had separate stays in the hospital, to a total of twelve days, covering most of the month of August. This explains, for those who have been wondering, why my blogs have been so infrequent of late. My hospital stays brought to mind a true story I heard when I was in Missionary Training College during my late twenties.
Charlton Smith, one of the leaders of WEC (Worldwide Evangelization Crusade) at the time, was in South Africa with His wife, helping out at the college.
His wife (I can’t remember her name) told us a story about her husband that left an impression upon us all.
Charlton was working at WEC Headquarters in London England when he fell ill had landed in hospital. A writer like myself, he just didn’t know when to stop, burning the candle at both ends, and taking on more duties than he was able to handle.
When his wife went to visit him in hospital he sheepishly told her, “I believer the lord spoke to me today.”
“Oh? And what did he say to you?”
“The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want.
He makes me lie down…”
My family tells me the Lord is saying the same thing to me, and that, at 72, I need to stop taking on new ministries. They believe my landing in hospital is God’s way of telling me to slow down.
Whether they are right, or not, rest is one of God’s gifts to us as His servants.
It is vain for you to rise up early,
To retire late,
To eat the bread of painful labors;
For He gives to His beloved [even in his] sleep. Psalm 127: 2 – NASB)
Over exertion in God’s service could be an indication we are not trusting Him to work His works through us; we feel it is all up to us
Resting
(© Thursday 27th August 2015 – by Christopher Shennan)
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters. (Psalm 23:2 – NASB)
Come ye apart and rest awhile,
To renew your strength and your zeal;
Christ has your labour in His hands –
He is giving you time to heal.
Anxious labour, without full trust,
Cannot be pleasing to our Lord;
He gives sound sleep, and perfect rest,
While you are trusting in His Word.
So, labour long, but take your rest;
It’s a gift from Heaven above –
You’ll find your strength will be renewed,
And you will sense, once more – His love.
Please visit My website: www.christophershennan.ca
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The Invalid by Louis Lang in the Brooklyn Museum. 1870. This image is in the public domain.
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