Chapter 17: A final word: SLOW DOWN AND REST!
"There remains therefore a rest to the people of God."
--Paul (Hebrews 4:9)
I was going to end the book here, but I felt compelled to add this chapter due to a devastating experience that happened to me. I was the victim of an internet scam. (I later found out there have been several instances of it. It’s called the Nigerian scam.) I realize, looking back, that if I would have stopped and prayed and sought God’s guidance, it would never have happened.
Perhaps I should give some details briefly as a warning, so you don’t fall prey to this. I was trying to sell some stuff on an internet site and this guy wrote me directly claiming to be from the UK and wanting to buy everything. We kept corresponding and he got my confidence. Then he said his client in Canada owed him money and was going to send the money to me in us funds, but it would be more than what I was charging him. and I was to send the rest back to him. It ended up that I was sent fake money orders and ended up losing my entire bank account. But to the point: I notice upon reflecting on the whole situation, that one of his tactics was to create a sense of urgency. He would always tell me to do something right away. He said what I was selling was badly needed in the UK and thus I was to get everything ready to send right away, and put the money orders in the bank right away so they would clear in a day, etc. If I just would have stopped and waited upon the LORD, I’m sure I would have realized many things, which would have made me stop and question what I was doing.
Soon after it happened, there was another instance where I realize I should have stopped and waited on the LORD also. He kept calling me even after it happened--after I realized what he was doing, and that got me unnerved. Then, one evening, I was almost running out of gas and stopped at a gas station with only $2.00 in my wallet and was trying to call my wife on my cell phone but I couldn’t reach her. I got agitated, wondering how I was going to get enough gas to get all the way home, and forgot all about the new credit card I had in my wallet. And, in all my panic, I lost my cell phone. You see, when we are in panic mode, our minds are not clear to think of solutions. So, there are times when we need to just stop and be quiet before God. He is always with us, but how can we recognize his presence if our thoughts are rushing ahead and screaming? Perhaps, in a sense, this subject could fall under “self-discipline,” but I felt it was weighty enough to deserve a chapter of its own.
We would all do well to head the opening line of that Paul Simon song which says: “Slow down, you move too fast. Gotta make th’ morning last.” I must admit that I often fail to practice what I preach. And in that regard, that’s all I’m going to say or think about those two instances. I have to take my own advice and forget what happened and move forward, but to do so slowly. We would all do well to remember the verse “Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalms. 46:10).
I want to also add here a word here about the Sabbath command. There is a lot of confusion and misunderstanding on this in Christian circles today. But recalling what Mary-Ellen Gresham said ‘”…that every ‘law’ is a love guide for our own good”, I feel that this applies especially to the commandment of Sabbath rest—that is, to take one day out of seven and rest. As to which day of the week, I feel that the LORD has pretty much left that up to us. For one thing, the Hebrew word shabbat from which we get “Sabbath” does not mean “seventh” as some erroneously suppose, but rather “rest.” So, God ordained a day of rest, one in seven, because He knew we needed it. We need the time to rest physically and also mentally and Spiritually, reflecting upon Him. Of course, there is the argument that the day was changed from Saturday to Sunday because Jesus arose on Sunday. But if you are a minister, Sunday can be your busiest day, so you may have to take another day. In Romans 14:5-6, Paul pretty much says that all days are alike and how we regard it is up to us. In Hebrews chapters 3 and 4, we are told further that there remains a rest to the people of God. There He is talking about Spiritual rest, of which the Sabbath was a type. So, the particular day is not important, but the principle of rest is, especially resting spiritually in Him. I wrote a poem some years ago which I think fits in here rather nicely.
I Saw A Child Watching Some Birds Today
by James M. Becher
I saw a child watching some birds today.
As they glided by
In their bright array,
Colors caught his eye
Gazed he, as they stopped to play
A while there, then flew fast away.
I saw a child watching some birds today.
And I strolled on by
With a “what care I”
Attitude;
Thinking my own thoughts,
Pampering my own
Little mood.
Then, I stopped, and thought: “how pretty they!”
Yet, I’d oft’ passed such scenes
Without one word to say;
Failing to notice—entangled in thought--
All nature’s wonders; things God hath wrought;
The beautiful things which, around us each day,
Live their own lives in their own little way.
I saw a child watching some birds today.
If we could just get rid of our grown-up complications and see things once more as children do, our lives would be less busy and hassled, and we would certainly gain a fresh appreciation for life and the world around us. And this should help us to maintain our positive, winning attitude.
--------------------------------------------