Ah, if you are French, you know what today is. Bastille Day! Bastille Day is France’s 4th of July … the day marking the storming of the Bastille and a turning point in the French Revolution. The oldest and largest regular military parade is held the morning of July 14, on the Champs-Élysées in Paris in front of the President of the Republic, along with other French officials and foreign guests. It’s a great day for the French.
There is another anniversary celebrated this date. It’s Pastor Jim Gardiner’s birthday, he would be the same age as I am, 71. He was six months behind me. Instead of celebrating another birthday here on earth, Pastor Jim gets to celebrate his birthday in heaven with his Savior and all those saints who have gone before him. His struggle on this fallen planet is completed and he is at rest in the Lord.
I’ve been meditating in Psalm 37 these last few days. My meditations have centered on verses 3 & 4, and 5 & 6. Verse 7 goes on to reminds us to “Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him.” [Ps 37:7 NKJV]
Rest does not come easy this side of the veil. There are so many things which make our lives busy, even frantic at times, that rest seems almost foreign. Still, the psalmist reminds us that we need to rest “in” the LORD and wait patiently “for” the LORD. We can only do that when we follow the commands that preceded this one. Let me remind you what they were:
Trust, dwell, and feed on God’s faithfulness. Delight in Him. Commit your way to Him. And, again, Trust in Him.
When we do those things, rest will follow naturally. Amen.
