Rest for the Weary

And he said, "My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." (Exodus 33:14)

Moses had a tough job leading the people of Israel out of Egypt. To begin with, there were a lot of people, and in addition, he had Pharaoh to contend with. Even once they got free of Pharaoh, the people couldn't be satisfied. They grumbled and complained, and repeatedly forgot all that God had done for them. They turned away from God, they blamed Moses for their troubles, and their unfaithfulness to God resulted in an extremely long journey to the Promised Land. Moses must have been exhausted.

I'm exhausted, and I just have one four month old to contend with. I can't imagine how exhausted those of you with more than one child must be! My little guy, although a generally happy baby, is active. He gets bored easily, so I'm constantly moving him from one activity to the next. He doesn't like to nap and usually only sleeps for half an hour at a time during the day. The only thing (other than eating, which is probably his favorite activity) that seems to keep his attention for a while and wear him out is being outside. We take a lot of walks.

It's nothing like what Moses had to deal with, and yet, there are enough similarities that I feel like Moses must be a kindred spirit for mothers everywhere. And so, this promise God makes to Moses in Exodus 33:14 is one I claim for myself. "My presence will go with you and I will give you rest," God says to Moses.

God is with us as we go throughout our days...as we clean up messes, change diapers, provide entertainment, teach, feed, love...and he provides rest. Sometimes it's the rest of a few quiet moments alone in the bathroom and other times it's the rest of a nap with a sleeping baby lying in our arms.

In your prayers today, remember God's presence. Ask for Him to reveal to you those restful moments. Recognize and celebrate God's presence even in the midst of activity and busyness and occasional chaos. Rejoice in the strength He gives you.