Have you ever had a close friend advise you to do something which you feel is wrong? I have. I could have chosen to follow her advice. However, when I turned to the Bible just before I hopped into bed that night, the words of the prophet Jeremiah jolted me. In those moments it truly was as if I were standing looking at road signs, trying to figure out which route was the best.
It was as if before I asked, God was listening to my conscience debating about my options. God was acquainted with my ways and my thoughts. I knew I had a choice. I could commit myself to walk on His path rather than my friends’ choice. To walk would mean plodding at times, one foot in front of the other, day after day.
Another prophet in the Bible tells us that sometimes God hedges our path with thorns so that we realize we can’t do it our way. He then leads us into a wilderness in order to speak tenderly to us and woo us back to His ways (Hosea 2:6, 14).
That tenderness from God pulled at me through Jeremiah’s statement, which told me if I would walk in God’s ways, I would find rest for my soul. Jesus echoes these words in Matthew 11:28-30.
Interestingly, spiritual rest involves movement. You have to come to Jesus and walk with Him, one step at a time. Then He’ll teach you and change your heart, and you’ll find the rest only He can give you.
O great God and Father, compassionate and gracious and patient, help me to choose to walk with you whether the road is potholed or smooth. You alone are the One I can rely on, the God of all comfort, the Prince of Peace. You’ve promised to walk with me, to never leave me or forsake me, to be the Good Shepherd beside me in green pastures and through dark valleys. I, who am at times so weary and weighed down, come to you to learn to walk with you and find rest for my soul. Amen.
Go Deeper — Do your closest friends want more of God and to learn Jesus’ ways? Do they respond with His compassion to you and stir up your heart to remember God’s steadfast love for you so you seek His ways? Pray for such a friend if you do not have one. You could also connect with a free and confidential mentor.
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Photo Credit: Raechel Romero