Transforming Truth

“Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him…” – Psalm 37:7ab (NKJV)

Last year, an unexpected opportunity prompted my family to seriously consider making a significant change: moving from the bustling town we’d called home for more than 15 years to a rural property in the Colorado mountains. Although my husband and I often talked about “retiring” to a mountain retreat someday, nothing about our lives at that moment signaled that we were ready to make this dream a reality.

The timing wasn’t ideal. I was about to drive our two youngest daughters back to college across the country, but the prospect seemed perfect: We’d be helping our friends move on to their next stage in life while giving ourselves a head start on our future plans. Wasn’t this our dream? Was God giving us a chance to start that dream sooner than we had planned?

We prayed, and the next morning, I was off on my road trip with my daughters, frantically exchanging emails with our realtor from the passenger seat. In my impatience to hear back, I prodded my husband to make quick decisions so we could move forward, even though we really didn’t have our ducks in a row to put our house on the market. I also found myself hoping that the showings planned over the weekend wouldn’t generate any offers until we could take our next step.

Rather than waiting on the Lord and releasing my grip on those dreams, I turned into Type-A, make-it-happen Renée, pushing to keep this door of opportunity open long enough for God to “make a way” for us to squeeze through. In truth, I was ready to make the way myself, because wouldn’t God want that for us?

Does this chain of events sound familiar to you? A “better” situation presents itself, and instead of waiting on the Lord to provide for the next step, you go ahead and nudge things forward anyway? Convinced that surely God is leading you there, yet you are doing all the effort—and feeling all the anxiety that comes with taking matters into your own hands?

Then, as quickly as the opportunity presented itself, the door slammed shut when our friends received an amazing offer they couldn’t turn down. I was happy for them, of course, but I was so extremely disappointed. Later that night, a verse in my Bible study reading exposed the real source of my distress: my restless dissatisfaction with the transition to an empty nest.

“When your fathers tested Me; they tried Me, though they saw My work. For forty years I was grieved with that generation, and said, ‘It is a people who go astray in their hearts, and they do not know My ways.’ So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’” –Psalm 95:9-11

Much like the Israelites in the desert, my impatience was pulling my heart away from trusting the Lord for clear direction. Instead of being still and waiting for His guidance, I was running ahead of Him, losing my peace in the process. I was also slipping into old habits of longing for more rather than being content with the way God was already providing for us during this uncomfortable transition.

When King David tells us to “rest in the Lord” in Psalm 37:7, he isn’t talking about physical rest or immediate relief from our troubles. Resting in the Lord starts with a quietness of the soul, an inner peace that God knows what we need. Spiritual rest makes it possible to stop worrying, to be less dependent on our own strength, and, finally, to take a breath and let go, knowing that His timing is perfect.

Do you struggle to wait on the Lord when you don’t see an immediate answer to your prayers? Are you grateful for God’s provisions right where you are, even if you’re in a desert season? Or are you restless for something better?

Friend, we can find rest even if our circumstances don’t improve as we think they should. God is already providing what we need in the here and now. He gives us His presence in the dark valleys, He sustains us in the storms, and He promises His peace when we put our dreams and our struggles in His hands and patiently wait for His guidance. And sometimes, the answer is to stay where you are and learn to rest in Him.

 

Questions for Reflection:

• Is it hard for you to keep trusting God when your prayers seem to go unanswered?
• Do you prop doors of opportunity open with your own strength, rather than waiting for God to provide?
• Are you thankful for where you are now, even if it feels like a desert?

Nighttime Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank you for offering me the “rest” that King David spoke of in Psalm 37:7—not just relief from my troubles, but a peaceful stillness for my soul that isn’t dependent on my circumstances. Forgive me for the times I’ve been restless instead of waiting on You, striving in my own strength, or worrying about when my circumstances will change. Today, I choose to let go and trust that You already know exactly what I need. Thank You for Your daily provisions and for being the one who sustains me through every storm. I place my dreams, my struggles, and my plans into Your hands, knowing that Your guidance is perfect and Your presence is enough. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.  

Join the Conversation:

Do you struggle to wait on the Lord when you don’t see an immediate answer to your prayers? Are you restless for something better, trying to make things happen when you feel like they should?  Share your reflections in the comments below.

*This devotional was published on Crossmap.com as part of the Daybreak Devotions series.