Return and Rest

When Isaiah spoke these words, God’s people were afraid for the future, like we are sometimes. They looked for strength in anything but God. They were seeking help from Egypt’s horses and chariots, instead of trusting God alone. And He called them to return and rest.

The word for returning, shuwbah, carries the sense of turning back, a reorientation, bending again toward the Source. And rest, nachath, means settling into stillness, laying down weapons and burdens. His people were strategizing and afraid. He was calling them back to reliance, back to quiet trust.

So just as the verse begins, I am starting Lent with listening. Before ashes, before making a 40-day commitment, I am listening to His voice. He is the Holy One — the One who formed us from dust, who breathed life into us and still does.

My hope this season is to move into a deeper relationship with God. Part of that will be repentance, not out of guilt or shame, but in noticing where I drift and where I need to bend back toward Him.

Like a branch, I am connected to Jesus. He provides life and joy. I must remain attached if I am to bear fruit.

So during this Lenten season I will ask:

Where have I drifted?

What needs to turn back toward Him?