Resting Place

When God looks upon the earth, He desires to find a resting place for His glory to dwell. This idea is prominent throughout scripture, and a dream I had last year brought it to the forefront of my mind.

In the dream, I see myself in different scenarios. In one, I am preaching. In another, I am in a prayer meeting. In one more, I am having a conversation with my children. In each of them, I repeatedly hear the phrase, “Resting place. Resting place. Resting place.” I know it’s the voice of the Lord communicating His desire in each situation to find a resting place where He can dwell.

The interesting thing about this dream is the third scenario I saw: family conversations. Of course, I’m aware of the Lord’s presence when I preach and when I pray. But, how aware am I of His presence in the casual moments of everyday life? Do I seek to make Him as comfortable at my dinner table as I do in a church service? In the dream, He not only wanted to rest upon the sermons and prayers, but also upon the conversations I had with my kids.

This dream reminds me of a scripture in Malachi 3:16–18. In verse 16, it refers to those “who feared the Lord.” In the next two verses, these people move God’s heart to such a degree that He promises He will “make them My jewels” and that through them “you shall again discern between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.” What quality does the group possess that invokes these promises? How does their fear of the Lord manifest itself?

It reveals itself through their daily conversations: “Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD listened and heard them; so a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who meditate on His name” (emphasis added). After God listened to their conversations with one another, He decided to write their names in a book of remembrance. It wasn’t their sermons or their prayers that invoked His promises. It was the casual moments in life when they probably were not aware that God was listening.

This scripture and this dream call us to a fresh place of daily awareness concerning God’s presence. Yes, you should expect to meet with Him at church and when you pray. However, don’t limit your interactions with God to only those spiritual activities. God is looking for a resting place in your life. May He be as comfortable in your conversations as He is anywhere else. He is looking for a resting place, and He wants to find it in you.