Thursday, 2/26/2015

“Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee.”  ~ Augustine of Hippo

NUMBERS 16, 17

1Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and certain Reubenites—Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—became insolent^a 2and rose up against Moses. With them were 250 Israelite men, well-known community leaders who had been appointed members of the council. 3They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the Lord’s assembly?”

Moses and Aaron cry out to God and ask him not to destroy all the Israelites as a result of the rebellion of these few. God accepts and as a result causes an earthquake that swallows just these families and then a plague that takes out the 250 scouts sent into Canaan.

MARK 6:33-56

30The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. 31Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

Crowds follow them and thousands come to be healed and hear him preach.   He turns a few loaves and fish into enough to feed all.  He then instructs the disciples to get into a boat and go to the other side of the lake.

45Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.

JOURNAL

Jesus understands the need for rest and to hear from God.  It is a call that so often is easy to ignore.  I know it is because I many times don't want to hear from God.  I want rest on my terms not on his.  I want to indulge in things that make me "happy" rather than indulge in God and his love for me.

This is just another case of my rebellious flesh and how I so often don't really know what will bring me the rest and joy I need.  I tend to trust my own internal maps which...upon deeper inspection...are very flawed.  These maps and truths are a result of hurts, deceptions and lies that I have internalized as truth.  The only truth is found in scripture and in honest conversation with God.

28“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)