New Morning Mercies #49

Today you’ll look to find rest by trying to understand your life, or you’ll rest in the One who understands everything, including your life.

Yes, it’s true, we’re all theologians, scientists, archaeologists, and philosophers. We’re created by God to be meaning makers. We never leave our lives alone. We pick through them all the time, trying to make sense out of the civilization that they comprise. We do forensic investigations of our past, we leaf through the layers of our present, and we try our best to figure out the future. Made in the image of God, we live our lives based not on the facts of our experiences, but on our unique interpretations of those facts. That’s why the little girl asks that seemingly endless list of “why” questions; she has an inner drive to know. That’s why the teenager seems a bit lost; he is trying to figure his life out. That’s why the bride is a bit nervous before her wedding; she is wondering what the future will bring. That’s why the old man gazes off into the distance; he is recounting what once was.

It’s not wrong to think and think hard. It’s not a sin to want to understand life. It’s not bad to embark on a quest to know, but you’d better not be looking for peace of heart. God created you with the ability to think and the desire for life to make sense. These traits were given to you so that you could come to know God and understand what he’s communicated to you. But it is important to remember that rest is never to be found in trying to figure it all out, because you never will. There will always be mystery in your life. God will always surprise you with what he brings your way. You will always be confronted with the unplanned and the unexpected. All of this is because you don’t rule your own life and you don’t write your own story. And the One who does rule and write doesn’t tell you everything about your life and his plan. No, he tells you the things you need to know to live as you were designed to live, and then he graces you with his presence and his power.

Because he controls the details of your life, he is always near; at any moment, you can reach out and touch him (see Acts 17:26–27). Rest is only ever found in trusting the One who has everything figured out for your good and his glory. Because he is wise, gracious, faithful, and powerful, he is worthy of your trust and is alone able to give your heart rest.

For further study and encouragement: Psalm 139