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