Finding Rest and Being Satisfied

Finding Rest and Being Satisfied in the Land of See and Trust

Posted on by Michele Morin

I’ve just turned the last page in the book of Deuteronomy. Moses’s ministry has come to a close, his life has come to its end, and he’s given a glimpse of the land God had promised to his people. But he will never set foot on it.

One of the benefits of my plodding through Deuteronomy at a snail’s pace is that it mirrors the pace of Israel’s journey. Back in October when I began my reading of the longest sermon in the Bible, Moses was already reminiscing about the people’s rock-hard stubbornness. When I read in Chapter 34 that Moses had reached the finish line, and God had taken care of all the details, it felt like the gift of a well-earned rest.

I wonder: Was it hard for Moses to trust that the world would keep spinning without him?

The Land of See and Trust

Both Moses and Abraham were well-educated in the school of See and Trust. Their stories bookend the Pentateuch with encouragement for anyone who lives in waiting mode. (All of us?) Both men received the promise from God and then died without taking possession of the real estate.

We get a glimpse of Moses’s thoughts on mortality in Psalm 90. After 120 years of “toil and trouble,” his final rest was well-earned, but it’s also clear that he knew the source of ultimate satisfaction was never intended to be a new mailing address in The Promised Land:

Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
    that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

Psalm 90:14

Moses chose to be satisfied, to rest in the joy of The Given rather than wrestling with God over The Not-Given. Finding rest in the land of See and Trust is a tough assignment. We’d much rather See and Possess! Right now!

The key to Moses’s peaceful ending lies in his choice to trust. He chose to rest in the steadfast love of God so many times that it became a habit for him.

What are you waiting for? Even a longing for a good thing can destroy your rest if it becomes an ultimate thing. Are you praying for the salvation of a loved one? For a career break through? For healing of a broken relationship?

Take grace first. Take his steadfast love, and rejoice. Like Moses, we can rest in the reality of God’s good intentions toward us, even if the outcome is not at all what we had envisioned.

What are you waiting for? Take grace first. Take God’s steadfast love, and then rejoice: “Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love…” (Psalm 90:14) #hesed #rest

And Now Let’s Talk Books!

Change is inevitable. We live open-handed, knowing that this moment in time is a passing thing. Even so, some changes land in our lives like a force of nature, uprooting the landscape and causing us to whisper, “Will life ever be good again?”

This was Lisa Appelo’s story after her husband died suddenly in his forties, leaving her to raise their seven children alone and to walk a path of grief for which she was completely unprepared. Life Can Be Good Again is a trail of breadcrumbs for her readers, strewn in faith that after the tidal wave of emotion that accompanies loss, there is a way forward to a new and flourishing life.

God’s promises are not nullified by grief or loss. His goodness and faithfulness are unchanged, even in seasons of difficult emotions, so he welcomes us into his presence, bringing with us our pain and sadness. The North American tendency to stuff our emotions and resort to happy talk and bootstraps is unbiblical.

In fact, Appelo points to scripture as our playbook for walking through the wilderness. Sticking close to biblical truth ensures that our hearts will receive a “daily dose of hope,” nourishment in what feels like a howling wasteland, and a “daily exchange of our thoughts for God’s thoughts.” Furthermore, the words of lament in scripture provide words for bringing our load of painful emotions to God.

While it’s true that the unthinkable can and does happen, we do not walk through tragedy alone. A well-placed hope in God’s faithfulness carries the believer to the other side of tragedy with a deeper connection to him and a stronger faith in his ability to restore beauty in spite of brokenness.

Holding You in the Light,

In #LifeCanBeGoodAgain, @AppeloLisa points to scripture as our playbook for walking through the wilderness. It’s a “daily exchange of our thoughts for God’s thoughts.” via @ReadBakerBooks #lament

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Many thanks to Baker Publishing for providing a copy of this book to facilitate my review, which is, of course, offered freely and with honesty.

Photo by Ray Hennessy on Unsplash

Published by Michele Morin

Michele Morin is a Bible teacher, writer, reader, and gardener committed to the truth that women can become confident Christ-followers and students of God's Word. She has been married to an unreasonably patient husband for thirty-plus years, and together they have four sons, four daughters-in-love, and five adorable grandchildren. Michele loves hot tea and well-crafted sentences, poems that stop her in her tracks, and days at the ocean with the whole family. She laments biblical illiteracy and advocates for the prudent use of “little minutes.” She blogs at Living Our Days, and you can connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.

50 thoughts on “Finding Rest and Being Satisfied in the Land of See and Trust”

  3. You’ve given me an encouragement boost as I live life in my own waiting room, Michele. “See and trust” seems a bit too open-ended for my conclusion-desiring heart, but I suppose that is the point of this walk of faith. His way, not mine.

    Like

  4. I’m always humbled by those folks in Hebrews 11 who “died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar.” God’s timeline is so much longer than ours, but it is ever sure.

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    1. I also gasp a bit when I read in 2 Corinthians about how all these things happened as an example for us and to teach us. I’m sure from the perspective of heaven, the saints would say it was worth it all, but when I’m going through a hard time, I am not usually thinking about how much it’s going to help others.

      Liked by 1 person

  6. “The land of See and Trust” – well described! Praise God we can rest in Him, whatever remains unfinished in our perspective. And I can’t wait to read Lisa’s book, it’s on my list!

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  8. “Finding rest in the land of See and Trust is a tough assignment. We’d much rather See and Possess! Right now!” Exactly. But at least God stays with us in the waiting and gives grace. It’s still not easy, but easier than it would be without God. Thanks for these insights, Michele. I’m glad I don’t have Moses’s life. 🙂

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  9. Such comforting words in your conclusion, Michele: “Take grace first. Take his steadfast love, and rejoice. Like Moses, we can rest in the reality of God’s good intentions toward us, even if the outcome is not at all what we had envisioned.” I’m copying this wisdom into my quote journal–thank you!

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  11. Excellent thoughts, Michele! This, “Moses chose to be satisfied, to rest in the joy of The Given rather than wrestling with God over The Not-Given.” says it all for me!

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  15. I was intrigued by the title of this post Michele. And I was not disappointed!
    Yes, from beginning to end we often just want to do, want it now & don’t want to wait.
    And we miss so much of what God has for us in ‘being still, knowing that God is God in the stillness.’
    Thank you for this today, such encouragement to keep on keeping on even in a season of rest.
    Blessings,
    Jennifer

    Liked by 1 person

  18. I have been studying the Pentateuch myself and meditating on its “big picture.” So I appreciated your comment about how Abraham and Moses bookend the Pentateuch and how it should encourage us in our waiting. Very thought-provoking, as always!

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  19. Michelle, I love this: He chose to rest in the steadfast love of God so many times that it became a habit for him.
    I want to trust and rest in God’s steadfast love so often that it becomes a habit too.

    Like

  25. Thank you. Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him. For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust. Yes, I am loning to take grace first. To think about his steadfast love. And to rejoic. I must learn to wait on God’s time and purposes and turn away from human schemes.

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  26. This is so much what I need to practice right now. I love the description of the “Land of See and Trust.” Striving to live there at the moment.

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  27. I loved this question: Was it hard for Moses to trust that the world would keep spinning without him?
    We’re so often caught up with the sense of our own importance that we don’t stop to rest in the love and grace of a God who has the whole world in His hands!

    Like

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