Entering in to Rest: The Active Pursuit and the Rest We Share (Part 2)

Thanks for tuning into this week's podcast! This episode we are continuing in our series, Sabbath Stories: Embracing Rest in a Restless World. Each episode we will unpack the sacred call to rest and renewal, as well as a practical practice to help you integrate rest rhythms into your life. 

This episode we'll continue to look deeper at the pilgrimage that the Israelites made, and unpack the parts of the journey that reveal something beautiful about our own journey with God. We'll touch on the idea of entering in to rest rather than receiving it, as well as consider the ways that God has intended for rest to be communal, and something we experience and share with others on our journey. 

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Transcript

9:47:43

Welcome to the return to joy podcast. I'm your host, Gabrielle Michel Leonard. Here we're leading people to cultivate joy through storytelling. We hope listening will reveal pathways to unlocking the healing power of connection so that you can see your relationships and the world around you transformed from fractured into flourishing was that Beloved's? I'm really glad to be back with you for another episode in this series titled Sabbath stories, embracing rest in a restless world. I want to reread Psalms 84. But before I do, I want to remind us of how gruesome, hard and challenging and communal this pilgrim journey that the Israelites would have gone on was, most Israelites did not live in Jerusalem. They lived in far away like towns and small villages, many in Galilee. And it was about a three to five day journey. If you were coming from far up north, you'd traveled down the Jordan River Valley, you'd arrive in Jericho, and then about on your last day of the journey. So let's pause there, you've already traveled through this valley. And I don't know a ton about the Jordan River Valley. But I'm just thinking about the nature of how much how many imagery, how much imagery there is in Scripture, about valleys, these low places, these places where there's a lot of shadows, and there's darkness, these places that have a sense of a little in some ways being arid, dry, lacking valleys, right. In our even in our modern day concept, we don't think about valleys as being the place where you want to be as much as we think about like, right the mountaintop, the place where there's green, there's fresh, you can you can, the breeze is flowing, and you feel the breeze around you versus none of us want to be in the valley. And so the majority of their journey would be walking through the Jordan River Valley. And then on this last day, they would finally make the ascent to Jerusalem. So if you can imagine with me a little bit, you've already been walking with a lot of people may have most of the time, like people would, as I said, they're coming from different villages and towns, they would caravan and join convoys. This was a communal process, they would walk with one another. And so you're we're with people for a long time. That's a beautiful thing being with people, but it's also has its challenges. So then on the last day, after this long journey through the valley, they're making the ascent up to Jerusalem. This was about a 15 mile journey, climbing 3400 feet in elevation, or 1000 meters on the last day of this long journey, Dave make this ascent up to Jerusalem. I'm thinking about all i all i have as a frame of reference is my experiences, right? And I'm just speaking back to you know, tomorrow Sabbath stories. And so when I was in Ireland, I spent a couple days in Ireland because I had this desire to I wanted to walk the cliffs of more, if you're like me and was unfamiliar at the time of what is the cliffs of more, it's along the western coast of Ireland. And it is this very steep, rugged drop towards the Atlantic. And it's beautiful thing is something maybe like an eight mile stretch of just these really tall, steep cliffs where you just look up, you just see the expansiveness of the Atlantic and it's powerful, because right there, you're getting the full front of wind, and rain. And in my imagination, it just seemed really cool. It just seemed like, yeah, I want to take this journey, and walk the cliffs and there it was a little bit more magical in my head in my head. I was going to sit along these cliffs, and I could picture myself with my journal Open. The Sun would be setting somewhere where I could see it beautifully. And there'd be this cool breeze passing through maybe occasionally my pages would flip a little bit as I wrote and heard the still small voice of the Lord. And I was going to hear some incredible word from the Lord that I can then preach on one day when someone invites me to speak and I'd be like, You know what, as I was walking the cliffs of more hikes, I would just drop that as a little flex a little bit. And that's the image that I had in my head of what this journey would be like it would be a beautiful journey. It would be probably challenging, you know, it had had it had some challenges, but it would be great and I would do it. That's what I had in mind about the cliffs of more, but little did I No, I was in for a treat because that journey was going to be nothing like what I thought it was. It was not like the picture in my head, it was something very, very different. It was beautiful the town like I was in this town called Doolin. In Ireland, and the it was a very small village. And as I was walking, it would just be so quiet, just so quiet. And still not because there wasn't people, but it just there just was fewer people. And there was a lot of land. And I remember this one particular day, I had decided, like, I'm going to set out and I'm going to officially take this trek, and I'm going to walk the to the clips of more. Well, I go up there, I think I saw the sign that saying like, yeah, you're on the on the route. It's not necessarily clearly marked that well. But I'm like, whatever. I'm excited. I take this journey, in part because I'm thinking, Oh, the weather finally looks like you know, not as rough. But I did bring my rain jacket with me. Let's just say as I'm starting out the journey as I'm going, it went from actually sunshine and gorgeous in that way to this intense rain and intense wind. And I you know, I'm like, Okay, it's cool. I put on my sunshades not for the sun, but for the rain to not like, tag me in my eye because it was strong. And then I put my hood over my head, I tie my hood underneath underneath my neck, I zip up my rain jacket. And I'm like, it's all good. We're gonna keep on going. I'm a little bit uncomfortable. As the rain in the wind gets stronger and stronger. I'm a little bit questioning like, Is this is this okay? Or should I not be here, I've never been in a situation before in which I'm continuing to walk away from the place where I lay my head. And it's this kind of weather outside. But nonetheless, I continue onward thinking the people, my people back home, probably think I'm a little crazy. And so do I. But I'm continuing this journey. And eventually I get to a point where I am. I reach a gate. And this gate looks like it just looks like you're not supposed to cross it. It literally says do not cross dangerous, right. And so I'm thinking No one warned me about this. And all those signs around me seem to say this is not the way so I'm I go back, I start walking back up because I'm like, Dang God, like I thought I was taking this journey. And I'm not. So I start the walking back up and literally in the perfect moment because I was like kind of waiting. And I've been afraid a little bit but I walked back up. And I see a couple it's a couple from the Netherlands. Maybe in their 50s The wife doesn't speak much English, the man speaks English. And so I just asked them hey, like, are y'all walking to the cliffs? And he's like, Yeah, you know, is this the journey? Just the road? And he's like, Yeah, I'm like, I'm What have you done this before? And he's like, yeah, like yesterday. And so I'm like, Okay, I so boldly. Say, can I join you on your journey? And they're like, yes. And so I journey with I start walking with them. This man hops over. As I said, he's 50 he hops over that gate that I see that looks like to meet st don't cross. And I did hop over initially before I met with them. But then I saw like, might this look like this road too dangerous? I don't need to be on here. Well, he comes over it. And I'm like, okay, he did it. So I guess I'll do it too. I climb over it as well, too. And so does his wife and we start this journey. And I'm like, already, I'm just like, This is not where I thought it would look like but okay, we're doing this, we make this walk. And there's several parts along the way that I just realized. One is a lot harder than I thought it was going to be. And honestly, if I knew what this was all gonna entail, I would not have done it. Because it's a lot more feels a lot more dangerous, a lot more risky. I did not realize we'd be this close to the edge. He at one point even looks at me. He's like, are you afraid of heights? And I'm like, I don't think so. He's like, okay, cool. Look down on my you know what, maybe I am a little afraid of heights. And so I'm gonna just keep walking in this direction. But with every step that we were taking, as this man, his wife were in front of me and sometimes like I was in between them and they were so graciously watching over me during this time. I was so struck by the fact of every single step I was taking, I was going further than I ever would have gone and why it was because I had a guide, not an expert. In that situation. He wasn't the tour guide for the cliffs of more and every single step was bringing me forward and onward and higher and higher. And a little more further down the journey than I would have gotten by myself because I had a guide because I had someone walking with me I remember this point in the journey where we I'm looking out and I stop and he was so gracious let me stop and take pictures. Sometimes I stopped because I'm just like, This is gorgeous. I'm thinking oh my gosh, this is this the top and I'm taking a picture and he looks back at me and he's just like this, isn't it? There's more and I see any points to this area kind of looks like it's kind of a couple miles away and he's like and he's points me to this area to look Again, I'm going like, he's like we're going up there. And I'm struck by like there. And also an all because I'm like, how can it get better than this? Well, we turn a corner. And now I'm beginning to realize what he means by we're going up there, I see this first extremely steep hill that I'm recognizing, oh, he's about to climb this and I've done a climb this too. And there's a little bit of thing of when you're walking with other people, maybe sometimes pride serves you well, because I'm like, Man, I don't know if I do this, aside from being with them. Because I'm going i This is hard. It was hard, like I was out of breath, breathing deeply, and grabbing my knees at some point stopping and then I'd look up and like how they still going. And so then I'd walk more. I feel like I'm getting out of breath just now right where I'm right now just thinking about it. Like I got like trauma in my body a little bit. And so I'm walking, and I'm going, okay, like, I can do this. They're doing this, I can do this. And we go higher and higher and higher. I didn't really see many, many people. I'm thinking this is a cliffs of Morrison this place like one of the major places visited in Ireland. Like I think it's literally the most touristy spot in Ireland. Now, I realized later on, oh, when we two hours later, when we finally reached to the visitor center, like space spot along the cliffs, and kind of like the beginning of where it's at its highest peak and kind of stays about at that for the remainder of the eight miles. Then I see the crowds. Then I see the people, they had taken their cars and they just drove up to the top. They just drove up to the visitor center. And I'm realizing oh, okay, that's how I could have did it. But now it's fine. I earned this iron this trek, but it it makes me it does make me think about Israel's pilgrim journey. The Israelites pilgrim journey, and it makes me think about our pilgrim journey. Thinking about for them, you know, that last day journey after a long walk alone trek, that was higher and harder, it was a steep incline to get up to this place that they were hoping for and longing for and had imagined, they probably had imaginations of what it would be like when they got there. And also thinking about how much further they got along this journey. Because they were journeying with others, they were journeying with family members who had seen watch their ancestors do the journey, and that collective wisdom and presence. And I'm thinking about the folks that took their their cars up to the top. And so they just got to experience just seeing the vastness of the cliffs and more like, just from a quick drive up to the top is cool, there's no shade on them. But there is no quick drive to the top in this journey that we that we live in and walk with Jesus, we have to take the journey, we have to walk the road, and it is a hard road it is a gruesome road, it is fierce, I know you can testify to that. You might have been like man, I kind of expected that this was going to feel a little bit more peaceful. kind of expected that I'd be here already. I know in my mind, I thought like, Oh, two hours, I'm gonna have walked the whole entire thing, not two hours just to get there. And then I thought like, oh, it's gonna be so beautiful. Just sit there for four hours and the sun's gonna set and I'm going to feel the rays on my face. And no, I felt the beating intensity of the rain on my face and the wind, my Apple watch or whatever was like alerting me several times go on like this decibel range you're exposed to is dangerous to your ears. That's how loud the wind was. I just saved up here that we were literally walking with the with wind against us. And I think this song has hope for those that are growing like I feel like I've been walking and everything's been against us against me. You're not alone in that. In fact, it would do you harm, to stay isolated and alone in that and to not join in the story. And the hope that's that Psalms 84 is reflective of it would harm you, you'd miss out. If you do not join with others. Some who are in the same spot where you're at right now others who are a little further ahead, and some who were a part of that cloud of many witnesses that were hearing their voice. We're hearing their encouragement to move forward. The Whisper of the Holy Spirit come up higher, keep coming. I want to read Psalms 84 again and then just just bring up a couple of notes from it. How lovely is your dwelling place, oh Lord of hosts, my soul longs Yes, faints for the courts of the Lord. My heart and flesh sing for joy to the Living Guide. Even the sparrow finds a home in the swallow a nest for herself. Or she may lay her young at your altars. Oh Lord of hosts, my King and my God. Blessed are the Those who dwell in your house ever singing your praise? C'est la vie. Right there. The Psalms is reflecting upon. Even just those. There's some, like I said that that lived in Jerusalem, they have their they had more access frequently to the temple to worship the Lord. Verse five, it says, Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion, in whose heart are the highways desire. When I first read this psalm in the prayer room in Wales, I thought about the nature of like, even in pain, even in sorrow, even in sadness, because the word of the Lord has been hidden in my heart. My spirit still guided me back, still still guided me towards him. And I'm thinking about my mother. I'm thinking about my father, I'm thinking about my grandmother. I'm thinking about the stories they've told me, they've witnessed to who God is, their stories of triumph, a victory over darkness. And I'm resonating with this psalm that's been sung for 1000s of years of people who, inside of them etched upon their hearts have been these highways. It's like the, the meditation of their heart, their thoughts, they guide them back to Zion. But here's something that's cool. It doesn't mean that you don't go through pain. It doesn't mean that you're never discouraged. You never walk with, with your hope, feeling like it's got a limp. See, even in those moments of trial, even in those moments, where it's like I am in the valley, that's okay. Because it's not just about you. It's also the knowing of like, I'm walking with people who have walked with God, and I'm walking with God. I have a guide. In verse six, it says, as they go through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs. The early rain also covers it with pools, that Valley of Baca, it's like it's an unknown place like it's some scholars don't believe it's actual physical place. But that word Baca, it sounds the exact same as the word is the Hebrew word that means weeping. And so what's really cool is the action verb there is, as they pass through as they go through the Valley of Baca or the valley of weeping. They make it a place of springs, what's cool is like the valley of weeping, it's a place you pass through, to take hope in the fact that that's not going to be where you remain forever, where you remain will be dwelling with God in the presence of God. And the hope here is this Psalms, his talk is reflecting on like, even as they're passing through this Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs, that even the places that were that have been detrimental in your life that it felt like something was robbed was taken, there's been lost, there's been lament, there has been pain, even that the Lord will take and He will restore, he will bring hope for seven assists. They go from strength to strength, each one appears before God and Zion, oh, Lord, God of hosts here my prayer Give ear Oh, God of Jacob Sayla. There's this. I was reading this blog, and it was reflecting upon those valley experiences. And a question that came out from that blog was like, What's your view of the valley? What's your view of like the bulk of that journey, thinking about the fact of again, the last day is hard, because this this ascent that's happening. But I think maybe sometimes, even in that ascent, what carries you forward is you can you can see the mountaintop, you can see oh, there is the house of God. There is the promised land, there is the freedom place, there is liberty, you can see it. But when you're in a valley, it's harder to see ahead of you. It's a little darker, it's a little bit more twists and turns. You might even feel claustrophobic a little bit. Things may be right up against you and beside you. Sometimes it can seem like you're more exposed vulnerable to an enemy. But just to read this in this in this blog, the V. The author was talking about like let let us not make the same mistake the Armenians did. And first Kings, because they were considering God to be a gad of the of the mountains, and not a god of the valley. So assuming that God's power was limited in the valley, they attacked Israel. They attacked Israel on these planes. And even though Israel was vastly outnumbered, God gave His people victory over their enemies. And in that moment, God revealed Himself as not just a god of the mountains, but a god of the plains in the valleys to me be encouraged. Is that God is not just a god of the mountains is not just the God of the mountaintop, or even in those moments when you can see hope you can physically see it. But in those times when you feel outnumbered, in those times when we are outnumbered, God is still all powerful and sufficient. And you walk in the fellowship with the people of God, the body of Christ, and so you are covered, protected, not exposed. Verse nine says, Behold our shield, oh, god, look on the face of your anointed, for a day in your courts is better than 1000. Elsewhere, I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. For the Lord God is a sun and shield the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly Oh, Lord of hosts, bless is the one who trust in you. Blessed is the one who trusts in You. Beloved's we have a huge joy that is attainable as we place our trust in Jesus, as we believe and take hold of the promise that no good thing will God withhold from those who are placing their trust in Him. Thinking about like, this journey that the Israelites were going on, you don't make that journey, you don't expose yourself you don't submit yourself to that must much risk. If you don't truly believe that when you arrive at that, that that temple place, that place of worship, that sheltering spot it's going to be refreshing times of refreshing will come you make that journey because you believe because you've got just enough belief may not even be full and overflowing, but it's just enough. And that's the reason why we need that we need one another because sometimes our belief is a little waning, and it's not so strong. And so we need to lean upon those that were with that we're walking with. And it's like, well, they believe that we'll get there, they believe that rest will come. And so I will I will continue walking that man seems so confident that I was walking with I'm thinking about there was this one point in the journey, when it is gonna sound is gonna be a little petty. But there's one point in the journey when we come across another fence. And this now I'm gonna get I began to notice it like, oh, there's a electrical fence, or like, there's an electrical fence that I've been walking alongside, not the whole entire time. But I'm like, I'm pretty sure that's live wire, and I'm like, I don't know what that's for and why that's here. Is that for me? Or is it for the animals, and I happen to be walking ahead of the US, you know, us three, and the wire is exposed, this electrical wire is exposed and it's running along this fence. And I'm thinking I'm about to cross that fence. What, what? And so I, I like, just kind of stepped to the side a little bit. And I'm thinking I'm gonna watch what he do. I'm gonna see what happened to him. I know. I know, it's bad, as bad, but I'm like, I'm not gonna be the first one to cross this fence. It looks like this live. Maybe he knows something. I don't know. So I'm gonna just get out the way I'm gonna let him lead. And so he just walks right up to the fence, he moves this little like, you know, I think this like little black protective covering, he like moves it over and to where now the wires covered completely. And he hops over the fence. And he's like typical Irish. And I just my what in the world has happened. So then I have I, you know, climb over as well, too. And again, I'm like, What in the world am I doing? But as I've been thinking about rest and even thinking about that journey, and thinking about this, that time away. I thought about like, man, maybe rest isn't received. Like that's a that's a word that I've heard many times. And I don't know if I'm like 100% You know, saying it's false, but just I've heard a lot. You just need to receive rest, receive the rest of God. When I'm wondering if maybe we need to talk more about the nature of rest being something that we move towards rest being communal rest being something that is attained, rest being something that is entered into rest is is is brought to a collective I believe that rest is not just found but it is searched for with this hungry yearning. There is a desperation there's a almost a need to get to a point in which you're like I don't know how to get there. I don't know how to enter into that. But I'm desperate and I will I will go and I will find who I need to who I need to join up with to get their thinking if we need to describe rest more is something that is also given. Not just received but but something that Christ gives us promises to give us and something that we can give to other people. St. Augustine says, You were made for God. And you'll never find rest until you find the one that made you. Or said in another way, and like in a favorite song I have, like our hearts are restless until they find rest in you. Remember, in the last episode, I talked about how this, the Psalm is, the way the psalmist is describing this place and thinking about this temple of God, this house of God to worship in this is a place for communal worship. This is a space to worship God. And so that interpretation is right and and accurate, about the place the house where God's presence is resting. But it's important for us to remember that this is also painting an image of the kingdom of God, this place that we are moving towards, that we're yearning for, in searching for this kingdom of God, where the enemies of God are defeated. chaos and death and destruction, injustice is defeated. The kingdom of God is something we move towards, not just wait for, not just receive, but we move towards the kingdom, and we bring the kingdom to people we bring rest to people think of this is why it's so important that we be practitioners of rest practitioners of the presence of God, because it's not just for us. Rest was always intended to be communal, because we were created to invite and cultivate Kingdom culture for someone else to enter into. I'm thinking about what God told Abraham, he said, I am going to bless you. And through your seat, I will bless all the nations of the earth, that is still the intent of God. He wants to bless you. He wants to walk with you, and journey with you as you enter into His rest. As you enter into liberation, as you enter into freedom as you step into the presence of God and find your shackles removed, but is not just for your sake. It is actually with full intent that he would move through you. And through the seed that you produce, as a result of be of walking with God, that the nations would be blessed. Your neighbor would be blessed. And those nations may just include people who you don't really like too much. Those nations may just include people who you don't usually see. It's why it's important that we go God, who are the people, show me them that are asking for rest. They're not asking me to tell them what to do. They're asking for rest. And what is required of me what kind of participation engagement with you God is required of me to be a place where I am helping other people enter into rest. I'm exposing the nature of the kingdom of God. So struck by the way Jesus would heal people before they even decided to follow Him. They experienced freedom before they said, I want to follow you, you set them free. He demonstrated, here's what my kingdom looks like, when I'm king. Here's what it's like to be a part to be a citizen of that kingdom. I wanted to come and walk with Him. And as they walked with them, because he knows the disciples walked with them seemed as they walked with Jesus followed in his way, they were entering into rest. They were inching into Shalom of God. And then they were sent out to go in present, the good news. Go and be rest, demonstrate rest, demonstrate the presence of God to all nations of people. So enter in to God's rest. Enter into the dress that Jesus provides, walk with Him, walk with the body of Christ, enter in so that you may walk further that you may experience rest in the you may welcome others into it. If you're hearing this message, you've listened to the entire episode. And for that I am deeply grateful. I hope this episode resonated with you and if it did help us out by sharing this episode and leaving a review on Apple podcasts, and Spotify. Most importantly, reach out to let me know how you're engaging with this episode, and what topics you'd like to see covered in the future. You can connect with us on social media, or get in touch with me directly at Gabrielle at returning to joy.com to share your heart. I'll see you in two weeks for a new episode.