Respite is a laying down of the sword...a temporary delay of doing the things that you had been doing so that you may be strengthened to do them with greater effectiveness later. The past couple of days have been a respite for me. I have taken up another kind of Sword...the Sword of the Spirit, and found myself lost in its words...in its power...in its refreshing ability to reprove...correct...divide...instruct. I will complete a chapter of memorization tomorrow (and trust that you understand I write this to encourage others to memorize the Living Word also) and I have found the portion I committed to memory useful on about 7 different occasions today. I look forward to tomorrow's lessons from the Word of God.
Funny thing about respite-ing...there's no one here to talk to. For some that would probably be enjoyable...I've never really taken pleasure in exercising my "quiet side"...don't think I have one...but this has been good. I am learning to be still and let God BE. So hard...so hard...but why? Maybe because His forward velocity is not mine. I want to know the end game and get on with it...a real self-starter...a go-getter...just point me in the right direction and I'm gone...tell me what you need and let me strategize how to get it. Immature is what it is. It just so happens that this was the devil's invitation to Jesus on the top of the Temple (Matt 4). "Go ahead. Jump! God will look after You. He'll do a glorious thing...a God-thing... when You think about it, this is a good kingdom ushering plan"...but not God's plan. So I'll wait in His place...move at His pace...be still...listen..and learn how to follow whereever He may lead.