Written in 2010, our granddaughter Avery was 3. Little did I know then, that she would be our little one who would each night lie in her doorway on the floor until she would fall asleep? She loves the floor and is not fond of her bed. She isn’t defiant about it, she just prefers the floor. Once she’s asleep, her daddy scoops her up in his arms and places her in the bed where she is able to rest for the night. Unlike Avery, during this journey I have often been defiant, refusing to lie down, not trusting that my Abba would scoop me up and gently and lovingly lay me down to rest. This piece is about this little girl who refused to accept the rest her Father offered.
There she stood, arms crossed, lip out, standing beside her bed refusing to get in, to lie down and rest. Her Father in the doorway saying to her, “My child, if you will just get into the bed, lay your head down and rest, you will feel so much better.” But, she refuses. Finally, He gently closes the door, knowing His word will not be heard. Standing there hour upon hour, she becomes increasingly tired. Finally, she falls to the floor exhausted, still refusing to crawl up into the bed and rest.
The next morning her father opens the door to find her lying there upon the floor in a little ball. He scoops her up into his arms; she awakes. He says, “My child, you didn’t have to sleep on the floor, if only you had crawled up into your bed, you would have rested all night.”
As I was on my knees this morning, this was the picture my sweet Heavenly Father brought to my mind. I was that little girl refusing to lie down and rest. It was I, standing there arms crossed. It was I, who was refusing to crawl into His arms, trust Him, and rest.
It is amazing to me that we cannot hide what is in our hearts from the Father. He knows when we are refusing to rest in Him. Oh, we can sleep on the floor if we want to, but, He says to us- His children, “Why my child, would you settle for sleeping on the floor when you can rest in me?” I have been sleeping on the floor over these months instead of restingin Him.
This morning my Bible was lying open on the arm of the chair; I looked down to see the 23rd Psalm staring back at me. “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
I began to think about what a shepherd does for his sheep. He watches over them, protects them, feeds them, cares for them when they are sick or in need, and he leads them. The shepherd is a constant companion to the sheep and finds green pastures for them to rest in. That means sheep have nothing to fear as long as they stay close to the shepherd. He provides all they need and he sees to it that they find rest.
As I looked at verse 2, “He makes them lie down in green pastures; He leads them beside quiet waters,” I was asking, “Who could not rest in lush green pastures, especially beside still waters?” The sound of water has always made me want to lie down and rest. The quiet waters spoken of were inlets or ponds where rest and refreshment could be found. I really can’t see the sheep refusing to lie down at night and rest beside these still waters, especially knowing that the Shepherd would not sleep, but would be watching over them.
Father, forgive me for standing by the bed refusing to get in and rest. Why do I struggle so with resting in You, Lord? Your word tells me in Matthew 11:28, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy- laden, and I will give you rest.” That is a promise! So, why do I not fully believe what You have already promised me? Father, why do I struggle with trusting you in all things? Proverbs 3:4 tells me to, “Trust in the Lord with all my heart.” Complete rest and trust are what You desire. Lord, thank you that your discipline is gentle. You lovingly close the door and leave me beside the bed for the night, knowing You will return in the morning to scoop me up into your arms and whisper in my ear, “I love you, My child. I am your Rest.”
Father, you truly are my Rest. You are my Shepherd, my Provider, and my Constant Companion. I will lie down. I will rest in You.
dianne