Last night I wrote in my prayer journal “Lord, please give me the strength to rest.” That almost sounds like an oxymoron doesn’t it; like jumbo shrimp or white chocolate. I am asking for strength to rest.
My husband and I are in a period of waiting. There are many uncertain areas in our life right now that are completely beyond our control. My natural tendency is to try beg and plead for God to come through. Then my need for control kicks into overdrive as I begin to work it all out if God doesn’t do what I think He should do, when I think He should do it. Anyone know what I’m talking about?
This summer a friend, introduced me to a Dutch missionary named Otto Koning and his Pineapple Story Series. In the first of many funny stories, Otto shares about his experiences of being a missionary to the cannibals and head hunters in New Guinea. In the Pineapple Story, Otto tells a hilarious and yet powerful message about what God can do once you surrender your possessions, occupation, finances,health, reputation,etc to him. I highly recommend you watch the video. You can view the Pineapple Story on You-Tube.
Surrendering and resting is not easy. It’s hard work especially for a control freak like me. This concept of surrender has radically changed my prayer time. Each day I have a list of areas that I specifically and purposefully surrender to God. I recently attended a Beth Moore Event and the one thing that resonated with me was when she said “It’s hard work to rest.” Yes! That is so true! I guess that’s why I get so excited when I see little things happening in my life. I see glimpses of God working. I know it’s God working and moving because I didn’t do one stinkin’ thing, but surrender control to God. As Otto Koning always says “God takes good care of his property.”
“You can not come up with a plan better than God’s He will blow your Stinkin’ mind!” -Beth Moore
I had to laugh when she said the work Stinkin’ because I use that word all the time. So much so, that I have noticed my children saying it. (Oops.) What this bible teacher was saying was a her own version or her paraphrase of these following verses. Read them and then think about when these verses where written. I want you to see how cool this is.
“Since ancient times no one has heard , no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any
God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.” Isaiah 64:4
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has ever conceived that
God has prepared for those who love him.”1 Corinthians 2:9
Those verses are almost identical with the exception of the words …For those you love him….for those who wait for him. Those words penned by the prophet Isaiah anywhere between 700-450 BC and penned by Paul approximately 55 AD. Those two almost identical verses were wrote approximately 505-755 years apart. That’s awesome! I love how God can use something written such a long time ago to speak directly to my heart in 2012 AD.
Resting and surrendering is not easy, but I know God will give me the strength to rest. When the day comes that he “blows my stinkin’ mind” I will be all rested up and ready to celebrate and praise his holy name!
~April
“May you and I be mutually encouraged by each others faith.” Romans 1:12