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Resting in God’s Presence - Devotion with Ps Ben Cherry

We are in the age of information overload. Our minds are cluttered and busier than ever. It’s no wonder why we struggle to refresh our souls and hear God’s voice. Our phones that were once used only to make and receive calls are now calculators, exercise trackers, weather forecasters, and everything in between. We use them way too much. Of course, using it for this devotional is a wonderful choice! However, we can become so dependent on our devices in an unhealthy way, especially with our social media. Those little notification numbers over your apps scream at you saying “open me now”, “reply to me right now”! Neuroscientist Earl Miller says that the constant scrolling that we do on our phones, where our brains are shifting attention from one task to another, causes the brain to burn fuel quickly so that we feel exhausted, stressed, and disoriented after a short time. This is why, when we think we are ‘resting’ on our phones we feel no better than we did before. True rest requires something more. I have lived too much of my life with a feeling of restlessness and I bet you have too. It’s time that we find true rest for our minds and hearts. That we might be at peace, become more like Jesus, hear God’s voice, and be more effective in our lives.

What’s the answer?

Psalm 62:1 says “Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from Him."

True rest is not found in an experience, a person, a movie, a holiday, or on our phones. True rest for our soul is only found in God!

Come with me and discover the four simple ways to find true rest for your soul:

1. Remove Distractions

Put away anything that could distract or hinder you (Hebrews 12:1-2) from resting in God, especially your devices. You might have a million things on your mind of what you have to do - write them down and come back to them later.

2. Eagerly wait on God

Psalm 130:5-6 says “my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.”

I think our kids are like these watchmen…

“Is it morning time Dad?”

“No, it’s 5 am, go back to sleep!”

“It’s light it must be morning? Let’s get up Dad!”

There is this excitement for the day to start. In the same way, when you are waiting in God’s presence you have a sense of delight and anticipation. During this time ask God if there is anything He wants to say to you.

3. Silence and Stillness

Psalm 46:10 says “Be still, and know that I am God."

To rest, we have to be still. To cease from work, be quiet, and to look to God. Dutch Professor Henri Nouwen writes that “without solitude (being quiet and alone before God) it is virtually impossible to live a spiritual life”. There is great power in learning to be still, unrushed, and alone with God. It is in this place our mind is refreshed and our heart is positioned to hear His voice.

4. Think About God’s promises

Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

The last step is to think about God’s promises and truths. Meditate on them, apply them to your life and think about what it means to you. True rest is found in waiting and being in God’s presence. I encourage you to start with just 5 minutes a day of resting in God. Your life will never be the same!

Remember:

• Remove Distractions
• Eagerly Wait on God
• Silence and Stillness
• Think about God’s Promises

Prayer

Dear God, thank you for refreshing my soul today as I come to you in prayer. Help me to pursue time in your presence daily where I remove distractions and give you my full attention. I love you Jesus and I long to know you more. Amen