Pregnant with our first son, everything was new — even not sleeping well. At my next visit with Dr. Lane (yes, I remember his name), my list of questions included why I was not sleeping.
He asked, Well, are you resting?
Me, Yes.
Dr. Lane, That is good. At least your resting.
I was hoping for a professional solution to my tossing and turning. God is using those words spoken 40+ years ago to minister to me now.
“Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him,
for he shields him all day long,
and the one the LORD loves
rests between his shoulders.”
Deuteronomy 33:12, NIV
Knowing that I think much about rest, my friend Joyce texted me this scripture. Immediately I recorded it in my journal and began praying over its truth, especially the first line. As a believer and beloved of the Lord, I knew that these words were for me as much as they were for Benjamin 3000-ish years ago.
It took awhile, however, before I began experiencing their truth.
How many times have I quoted to God — just in case he forgot — “He gives His beloved sleep”? 
Psalm 127:2, last line. Quoted, yes, but the quote was more like a beg. Please God, let me sleep! Eventually my body would rest and succumb to sleep.
That first line of Deuteronomy 33:12 doesn’t just say rest. It says rest secure in him, in God. I’m learning what that is. Instead of begging God with Psalm 127:2, I’m learning to rest my request and rest in God. I’m learning to place my security in God where it belongs.
“Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10) not only applies to waking times, it also speaks to those times I want to sleep. Be still, rest!
The applications of resting secure in him are endless. It speaks to much more than sleep.
I wonder how many times my begging prayers are setting expectations on God. God, I know you can heal my husband’s eyes. You even brought sight to a blind man. Please!
I wonder how many times my begging prayers rise from a lack of trust in God’s character.
I wonder how many times my begging prayers are not allowing God the freedom to be God.
I wonder how many times my begging prayers communicate I know what good looks like.
I wonder how many times my begging prayers are based on my timeline.
I can almost hear God saying, Sue rest your requests!
One of our favorite pastors said, if God answered all our prayers, we’d never be able to trust him.
Song of Solomon 7:10 says, “I am my beloved’s, and his desire is for me.” His desire … God has desires. I want to grow in trusting that his desires are good, for his glory and my good.
“What then shall we say to these thing?
If God is for us, who can be against us?”
Romans 8:31
God is for us. Let’s rest our requests.
Copyright, Sue Tell, February 2021
Such a good reminder to “fear not” and focus on seeing God’s love moment by moment and loving him moment by moment, as well as others.
Another good way to say rest secure in Him, fear not.
Thank you Marie for expanding my understanding.
I am trying to rest in the fact that He gets my grief. But yet He still allows it to happen. Too often for my taste. I love the fact that my tears matter so much to Him that He saves them in a bottle. I wrestled with grief yesterday a lot and it was raining. Usually it depresses me. Yesterday it was strangely comforting. I thought “the sky just gets me today.” Some days He seems so far away. Some days He feels so close it almost takes my breath away. Then there are the rest of the days…
Hey Becky, I love your transparency … “Too often for my taste”. And how neat that yesterday the rain comforted. You saw God’s understanding. God was indeed close!
And yup, we’re all human!
And following a rabbit trail (it is close to Easter, right?), I’m ready for rain … instead of SNOW!