You can see from the attached photo this gaggle of geese are sleeping at the Cooper Aerobics Center. They have spent all morning eating grass, insects, and seeds. Now they’re taking a siesta. They seem at peace from their predators. It’s like Psalm 23. The Cooper property has green pastures for them and a lake which provides still waters. Soon, they’ll be back at it again. Their ability to rest reminded me of so many scriptures in the Bible about eternal rest, Sabbath rest and peace in general. Psalm 4:8 describes our relationship in Christ relative to rest. “In peace, I will lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety”.
Hebrews 4 addresses the Sabbath rest and obedience. “Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same form of disobedience” (Vs.11). God provides perfect peace in Christ for those whose mind is stayed on him. As it was for the Israelites, I tend to break my perfect rest and peace through disobedience in so many ways; fleshly, worldly and spiritually.
So how do I, how do we, maintain this perfect peace? It’s true definition is Shalom. In Isaiah, we see what God suggests. “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you (vs.26.3). So, it appears we need to develop a Christ-focused mindset. If this is not happening, then our mind drifts, and we lower our sights to what’s going on around us. We start walking in the flesh instead of the Spirit.
The writer of Hebrews sums it up well. “Let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith” (Heb. 12.1b,2a). Lay aside, run with endurance, looking to Jesus! That way we can have the joy that comes through his perfect peace. Lest we forget, this joy was in him as he endured the cross reconciling us to God. He endured all of it, the shame, so that we might experience his peace. And according to Philippians 4.6,7, it’s a peace that surpasses all understanding as it guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Those gaggle of geese would undoubtedly say ‘honk, honk’, which in geese language is Amen and Amen!