Faith to Rest in God
What does it mean to run on faith? For one thing, we need to have enough faith to rest. If you want to fill up you must stop long enough to get filled.
The Need for Rest
Today’s lifestyle is all about being busy. We rarely, if ever, stop and get still and let God pour himself into us. Even if we stop physically we keep on feeding our minds and souls with all sorts of things! Our tvs and phones and laptops are constantly pulling us in. Social media and YouTube feeds call to us and we spend all our time putting more into our heads, and never properly resting.
We don’t fill up on faith, but on other things. It’s almost like pulling up to a petrol station, and pouring coke into your fuel tank. It’s poor quality fuel! It’s not gonna really do you much good! I wonder how many of us are running on empty because the fuel that we fill up on is poor quality.
Listen to the words of Psalm 63: “You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. RUNNING ON EMPTY!
I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.
Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.
I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.
I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.”
(Psalm 63:1–5 NIV)
Filling Up Spiritually
That last verse: being fully satisfied as with the richest of foods, that’s what I’m talking about! Resting and filling up on God! Praising and connecting with Him so that you can be fully satisfied deep down, and filled with good spiritual food!
The Psalmist was running on empty but filled up on faith by going to the sanctuary and praising God in song.
When last did you take the time to rest, in prayer and worship? When last did you stop work, stop phone, stop playing and entertaining yourself, and truly get still with your God?
I suspect many of us are running on empty because we haven’t taken the time to be filled WITH HIM. And I know we’re busy! I know life is hectic. I know it’s hard to find time to be still, and it feels like a waste of time.
But it’s not a waste of time. It’s an imperative. It’s SO necessary for your soul.
In fact Jesus said in Matthew 11: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Real rest is found in Jesus. We must go to Him to rest. Not to our entertainments.
Don’t keep running on empty. Start running on faith. And that means having faith to be still and rest properly with God. He will increase your faith and strength in such moments.
