Click click click.
Silence.
Click click click.
Silence.
Every few steps on my walk with my dog this morning, I noticed his nails clicking on the pavement had a lot more pauses than usual, moments of silence on the sidewalk. If I’m being honest, I was kind of on auto-walk that morning, like auto-drive but in my tennis shoes. So when I finally noticed the cadence of my pup’s steps, I stopped to look at why he was stopping so much. That’s when I saw it! A beautiful sunrise coming up over the river by our house that I almost missed completely!
Of course, we both stopped in our tracks at that moment and soaked it all in! An instant smile spread across my face, and a calmness overcame my recently anxious mind. If only for a moment, I felt true peace from something that happens every day: the sunrise. The simplicity and the pure power of it rushed over me.
After a moment of simply basking in the sunrise, I started walking home and wondered. Obviously, I know the artist who painted that perfect picture for me and my pup: God. But what was God trying to tell me with this particular masterpiece?
It hit me: slow down and focus on the miracles that are right in front of you! Looking back at the video I took of the moment, I noticed that when I moved the camera up to the sky, my phone had to catch up to the beauty, too. My phone had to focus for a split second before capturing the beautiful strokes God made. I could hear God telling me, ‘That’s what I mean, slow down and let me help you focus on Me.’
When I got home, I had to search Scripture to solidify God’s message and keep it at the forefront of my mind this week.
Isaiah 30:15 stood out to me while I was hunting. “This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: ‘Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength.” (Isaiah 30:15)
In this particular part of the Old Testament, Isaiah, the prophet, is talking to the tribe of Judah. At the time, Judah was turning to Egypt for protection and strength. They were rejecting God and trusting the pharaoh of Egypt instead. God speaks through Isaiah to tell them about their mistake, what their judgment will be if they continue, and how they can correct it. He tells them that ‘returning to me (God) and resting in me (God) will save you. In quietness and confidence in your strength.’
I used to think the Old Testament was just old stories before Jesus that were irrelevant to me. Scripture like this shows me how wrong I was. Just as Judah followed and trusted Egypt, I do the same, but it is more hidden. It’s hidden in me putting finances and job accomplishments before God. It slides in when I spend more time on a hobby (ie., sports, reading) but don’t make time to be with God. It hides when I’m so distracted and busy that I don’t realize other ‘idols’ are on my throne in place of God. Yup, I am more like Judah than I realize.
The Good News is that, just as Judah, I have the chance to return to God and rest in Him so that I too can be saved. If I am quiet and confident in my strength through God, I can not only see the sunrise but also hear the whispers of God’s teachings that guide me along the path He is laying out for me.
Keep growing. 🌱
Melanie Drews
Paws on God’s Path
One response to “Return & Rest in Him: Finding God on the Trail (Isaiah 30:15)”
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