The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever. (Isa. 32:17)
WHEN ALL ATTEMPTS FAIL to soothe a fussy baby’s crying, we take the little one for a drive. We find that the humming of the engine and gentle bouncing motion of the vehicle lull the baby to sleep, providing us caregivers a brief respite.
Like the fussy baby, our hearts become irritable. The exhaustion caused by sin is responsible for the irritability of our hearts. We explode at those who make us late. We keep a sharp eye out for the police who might catch us speeding. We try to invent a lie to cover up the lie we just told. We speed away from the coffee shop when the cashier mistakenly gives us too much change. We are already worn out by sin, and the day is just beginning.
When we come to the Lord with a repentant heart, He grants us the blessing of His rest. The heart left exhausted by sin finds rest in His cradling arms. He lovingly demonstrates the necessity of working in harness with Him to obtain this rest. Soon, others notice how much easier it is to be around us when our hearts are not so cranky.
Commit to working in harness with the Lord, and you will find rest.
Sandy Haney has been an elementary school teacher for twenty-seven years. She and her husband have two children and two grandchildren.
