My Heart Cries Out: A 6-Day Devotional With Paul David TrippНамуна

Rest 

Rest:

a faint dream for many, 

a treasured commodity 

in a fallen world, 

a thing so needed

yet so easily interrupted. 

The garden was a place of rest— 

no violence in creation, 

no weed or thorn, 

no cleft between God and man, 

no reason to hide, 

no cause for fear, 

no need unmet, 

no grief to face. 

Bright sun, 

pure love, 

unfettered peace, 

unstained beauty, 

man and God, 

worship and love. 

But, a voice

interrupted the rest: 

strategies of death, 

words of deceit, 

actions of rebellion, 

fingers of blame, 

expulsion from the garden, 

judgment and death, 

rest interrupted, 

rest shattered. 

So we wait for the Lord. 

His grace strengthens, 

his presence comforts, 

his promises assure, 

his power activates, and 

his rule guarantees that someday rest— 

real rest, 

pure rest, 

eternal rest— 

will reign once more.

No violence in creation, 

no weed or thorn, 

no cleft between God and man, 

no reason to hide, 

no cause for fear, 

no need unmet, 

no grief to face 

between God and man. 

Yes, rest, true rest, 

will live again 

and last forever. 

So we wait for the Lord 

to restore us to that place. 

Bright Son, 

pure love, 

unfettered peace, 

unstained beauty, 

God and man, 

together forever. 

Until that day, 

with hearts 

that are strong

and hope 

that is undimmed, 

and joy 

that embraces the future, 

we wait for the Lord.

To Consider:

• Do you have regular time set aside for rest? If not, consider when you might be able to work times of rest into your schedule. 

• Consider the various ways the fall has made true rest difficult, both generally for mankind and personally for yourself