Isaiah 30:15-18, NRSV
For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel:
In returning and rest you shall be saved;
in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.
But you refused and said,
“No! We will flee upon horses”—
therefore you shall flee!
and, “We will ride upon swift steeds”—
therefore your pursuers shall be swift!
A thousand shall flee at the threat of one,
at the threat of five you shall flee,
until you are left
like a flagstaff on the top of a mountain,
like a signal on a hill.
I do believe
this is the key.
The key to everything.
Returning and rest,
quietness and trust.
That’s where strength
is found.
And then Jesus came,
and put flesh and bones
around Isaiah’s words.
And this place hasn’t
been the same since.
Yet we resist this key,
we do not rest.
Maybe because we
do not return?
Turn me, Lord.
That I might return.
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Diana, you strike at the heart of the matter here with this Bible verse and all it implies. When God asked me to draw aside from my usual blogging activity and seek deeper rest in Him during this Lenten season, I had no idea how hard it would be to still my anxious thoughts or allow Him to calm my restless mind.
Sitting still outwardly or resting physically is a given for me. But inwardly? That requires much Holy Spirit invitation, inspiration and grace. And after all these days I do believe I am slowly beginning to understand why I need to and what is involved. Your words here are like an echo from my own heart:
“I do believe
this is the key.
The key to everything.
Returning and rest,
quietness and trust.
That’s where strength
is found.”
Amen, friend! I only hope and pray I will remember these things when I crawl slow back to blogging and being more outwardly active again. Bless you for this series and for sharing your own reflections on each passage. They have been really helpful to me. 🙂 x
How hard it is to return and rest. Yet what a gift to us, body, soul and spirit when we do! Thank you Diana.
Amen, Diana! We must find our rest in Him.
Blessings!