The Pulley

by George Herbert

     When God at first made man,

Having a glass of blessings standing by,

"Let us," said he, "pour on him all we can.

Let the world's riches, which dispersed lie,

     Contract into a span."

     So strength first made a way;

Then beauty flowed, then wisdom, honour, pleasure.

When almost all was out, God made a stay,

Perceiving that, alone of all his treasure,

     Rest in the bottom lay.

     "For if I should," said he,

"Bestow this jewel also on my creature,

He would adore my gifts instead of me,

And rest in Nature, not the God of Nature;

     So both should losers be.

     "Yet let him keep the rest,

But keep them with repining restlessness;

Let him be rich and weary, that at least,

If goodness lead him not, yet weariness

     May toss him to my breast."

From the very beginning, when we plucked ripe and luscious the choice to be our own gods, when we turned all His verdant blessing into toil and heartache and pain and loss, we have been looking for The Way Back. 

We have become experts in keeping the rules and making ourselves look good when we don't. We use our talents and gifts to accumulate "blessings," spend hours protecting and maintaining those blessings, and when still we feel empty, we exhaust ourselves in serving and giving. So we treat ourselves to vacations and screen time and hot fudge sundaes.

We are a wealthy, weary, restless people.

Thus says the Lord:

"Stand in the ways and see,

And ask for the old paths, where the good way is,

And walk in it;

Then you will find rest for your souls."

But they said, "We will not walk in it."  

(Jer. 6:16)

When did we forget that rest is a sacred gift? When did we decide we don't need it?

And how did I not realize that rest is the Way Back?

He knows we will not seek Him truly until weariness drives us to. And He knows we need rest like we need food and air.

He is our rest.

The way to know Him is to be still.

Our need for rest--true rest, soul rest--is the pulley that draws us to the heart of God. He is waiting to gather us in.

I have set the Lord always before me;

Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.

Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;

My flesh also will rest in hope. 

(Psalm 16:8-9) 

Day 7 of Abide: 31 Days of Resting in Him
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