Fleeting Comfort

By Deborah P. Durrett

Have you ever noticed that as we are in these earthly bodies, it’s difficult to not remain in some kind of continual motion? We move about in various ways as we sit, stand, or lie down. Even as we sleep, there is a certain amount of movement that goes on as we rest. If we remain in one place too long physically, then we get a sore neck, loss of circulation, an achy back and the like. So when we get settled in to relax at a concert, take a drive, or get a good night’s sleep, our comfort is really only fleeting.

I was thinking about a verse, in particular, in which God asks us to be still, and wondered how he thought that was possible. Well, he’s not necessarily speaking physically, so much as spiritually. We’re always going to have to keep moving, in these bodies designed to move about and rest briefly, and begin again as we follow his leading to fulfill his will. When we quiet our minds and allow God to be our comfort, then we can leave discomforts behind us.

“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10, KJV)

The word still, in the Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, breaks it back to the Hebrew word Raphah in 7495. Prime root mend, heal, repair or make whole. So when we stop thrashing about, spiritually speaking, we will be made whole. Even if we can’t stop tossing and turning in our sleep, or we fidget in our chairs at a long meeting, we are still able to achieve the goal of stillness when we allow our minds to rest in the love of our Father. What a blessing it is to know our Father in Heaven’s love is not fleeting, nor is our opportunity for comfort in his care.

“And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” (Mark 4:39, KJV)

“Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.” (Psalm 37:7, KJV)