Rest and Residence

Perhaps you remember the classic children's tale of Goldilocks and Three Bears. The story essentially goes that Goldilocks stumbles across the home of three bears, proceeds to check out their digs, eats some of their soup, and eventually takes a nap in one of their beds. The bears discover her, and she is summarily kicked out of their humble abode.

I am not even sure if there is a moral to the story other than one should probably stay out of bear houses if there even were such a thing! But the story does provide for us a simple backdrop for the principle we find in Psalm 91:1.

"Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty." Psalm 91:1, NIV

This is one of those great verses I come across several times each year as I read through the Psalms, and each time I am reminded of this simple truth: if I desire to find my rest in God, then I must be obedient to dwell with Him.

The rest that we are all looking for is not just a simple nap - a desire for a physical recuperation or recovery. The rest we look for in God is more often about comfort, assurance, provision, and His love. When we find those things, our minds and our spirit are at rest. We desire that kind of rest because it brings gives us peace, and peace is something we all desire even if we often fail to be makers of peace.

To dwell with God is an idea that is challenging to many. In fact, the challenge is so steep that many who would claim Christianity are still failing to dwell with God, and as a result are not only missing the fullness of His promises and assurances to those who choose to be with Him, but are also flirting with a false salvation experience that was more of a transaction and less of a transformation. To dwell with God means to take up residence with Him. My wife and I have been married for over 20 years. When we got married, we took up residence with one another. We put our lives together, we spent time together, we shared with one another, we fostered our relationship and we went from being two people living a life apart from the other to one flesh.

When I read this verse, it serves as a simple kick in the spiritual pants: "If you want to enjoy the rest that comes from being in under the protection - in the shadow - of an Almighty God, then you had better be seeking to and obediently dwelling with Him."

The reason Goldilocks wasn't welcome in the bear's home was that it was not her home. She was an unwelcome guest. She was an invader. For us, the invitation to dwell with God is an ongoing open invitation, but the shelter we often beg and plead for is not a given if we are not willing to respond to the invite. If your desire is to enjoy the rest of God, make sure you are taking up residence with Him. It's the best relationship decision you will ever make.

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