Lessons from the Labyrinth

Daffodils lifted their creamy yellow faces toward the sun, the birds sang
in the branches of the flowering magnolia tree, a breeze sent ripples
cascading across the otherwise still pond. My friend and I were
experiencing year three at our annual retreat, and this place reminded us
to direct our focus back on God and be still before Him (Psalm 23:2).

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On our second day at the retreat, my friend announced she was going to walk
the labyrinth by herself. (This labyrinth was different from a maze,
because there were no choices or dead ends, just one pathedged with
daffodilsthat meandered back and forth until it reached the center of the
circular labyrinth.) There was something God had been prompting her to let
go of, and she needed some concentrated time of releasing it to Him. I’ll
be praying for you, I encouraged her as she headed out the door. I
imagined her winding her way through the mown paths of the daffodil-filled
labyrinth, tears glistening in her eyes as she gave the burden to Jesus.

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When we met back up over an hour later, my friend’s load seemed visibly
lighter. She shared with me the lessons God taught her while walking
through the labyrinth: At first I was so fixated on the path, all the
twists and turns, that I almost forgot to take inventory of all the beauty
around me. She then chose to slow, examining the daffodils, touching the
petals, enjoying the journey. It’s like life, she mused. Sometimes, we
are just rushing around the corners, and we forget to slow and enjoy the
beauty God has placed all around us.

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In the center of the labyrinth was a large rock. When she reached the end,
my friend rested on the rock, giving God the thing that had been weighing
her down. I wonder if they put the rock there at the end on purposeso
it’s like you’re resting on Jesus, our Rock. I shared how that morning I
had been meditating on Psalm 62, in which David mentioned three times that
God was his Rock.

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Whether or not we have a chance to get away on a retreat, we can choose to
listen and be still before God wherever we are. We can say with David, My
soul finds rest in God he is my mighty rock (Psalm 62:1, 7). Jesus is
worthy of all our trust; He is the One who saves us and gives us salvation
and rest for our souls (Matthew 11:28-30). Savannah Coleman

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Psalm 62 points to the only One who can save us: Jesus, the Rock (verses
1, 2, 6). Because of Jesus’s death on the cross for us and the power of His
resurrection, we don’t have to wander through life in an endless maze,
unsure of our ending. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can rest assured
that God’s love will always follow us, and one day, when Jesus returns
bodily to earth, we will be with Him forever (Psalm 23:6). Even as we
walk through darkness and difficulties in life, we don’t have to be afraid,
because God is with us (Psalm 23:4). He wants us to bring all our heavy
burdensour questions, frustrations, and fearsto Him. Is there something
weighing on you today? Consider taking some time to bring this to God in
prayer.

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One of God’s gifts to us is community. How can sharing life with fellow
Christians help us follow Jesus? Who are trusted Christians in your life
you can talk with about your relationship with God? (If no one comes to
mind, you can ask God to help you identify someone in the future.)

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Throughout the Bible, God calls His people to rest in Him, and He
provides this rest through Jesus (Matthew 11:2812:8). What are some
practical ways you could take time to slow down and enjoy the beauty God
has placed all around you today?

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Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is
my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. Psalm
62:1-2 (NIV)

Read Verses:

Psalm 23; Psalm 62