So, I have an Apple Watch and have been a bit addicted to closing my rings daily. What are rings you ask?
The Apple Fitness rings consist of three rings: the red Move ring tracks active calories burned, the green Exercise ring counts minutes of brisk activity, and the blue Stand ring shows how many hours you’ve stood for at least one minute. Closing all three rings daily encourages a more active and healthier lifestyle.
I keep track of my steps every day. At the beginning of the year i received notice that you can pause your rings for a day. Never been able to do that! So I’m always thinking and planning each day how I’m going to get in all these steps and rings.
It got me thinking! I took the pause one day last week and it was convicting to me. I think about these rings a whole lot during my day. I check my watch. I check my steps. In my defense, with fibromyalgia, there is a body of thought that movement can help with the joint pain and ache. I realized how much of my brain focuses on this!
There may be something here. A day to set aside the normal thoughts and goals and strive to quiet my heart and mind. It’s almost like God wrote about this extensively or something. Haha.
Sabbath begins and ends with trust. If I pause my normal for one day, if instead of checking my watch again and again, I seek the Lord in breath prayers. Asking the Lord to bring to mind those need prayer. So I use each prompt to look at my watch to remind me to pray.
“So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience.”
Hebrews 4:9-11 NASB1995
(Strong’s Definitions Legend : Diligent)
σπουδάζω spoudázō, spoo-dad’-zo; from G4710; to use speed, i.e. to make effort, be prompt or earnest:—do (give) diligence, be diligent (forward), endeavour, labour, study
God is asking us to use speed, make effort, be earnest to…rest? He wants all of my trust that this is good and right for me to do. I come back to what do I allow in my mind. Do I continue to remind myself that, as my friend Pam says, God is good and does good? Or do I allow myself to be convinced that my feelings are truth?
Nightly we have an opportunity to release and rest. Last night was one of those battle nights for me. And I listened to Scripture over and over again.
“Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He will do it. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light And your judgment as the noonday. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.”
Psalms 37:5-7 NASB1995
I admit this post is weeks in the making. When I began this, the storms started to distract me and I stopped writing. I’ve been urged over and over again that I need to fight for the peace. Earnestly seek quiet with Christ, rather than try to watch and plan and organize so I can fix whatever the storm is today. Allow the Spirit to lead me.
Friend, take a deep breath with me today. Ask the Lord to call to mind his word. One more thing, let’s think about times that we have known peace. How do we keep creating time for peace and rest?
“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.””
John 16:33 NASB1995
Allow Jesus’ words to wash over you. Allow his words to bring peace. Trouble will continue in this world, but be of good cheer.
Jesus has overcome the world.
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