Tag Archives: Rest

Nathan Dooley

Have A Seat & Take A Load Off

2 Comments

Around the block from our studio room is a Place Unexpected, like out of “The Chronicles of Narnia” or something, but this place is real. It’s a place where you can escape from the reality of your “wardrobe”; in this place there’s a black (alloy steel)—comfortable enough—bench where me and my wife escape to have a seat & take a load off.

The lamp post in this clip resembles the one outside our room

Allow yourself (spirit and soul) to escape the present reality and take these metaphorical steps as though each written word becomes pavement beneath your feet.

You and I are walking on sidewalk, one foot after the other alongside driveways of houses, in the distance we see three options for a direction:

1) Stay straight.
2) Go right.
3) Cross left.

Each option will have its own unique mood for your experience, meaning I’ve walked them all and only one will give you the framework you need to bless your soul (because we’re not going backwards, devoid of will, or in a loop). Go right. The path going right veers off from the familiar sight ahead into the mysterious Place Unexpected; the path leads in between houses and curves off behind them out of sight into shadow.

Continue reading Have A Seat & Take A Load Off →
Nathan Dooley

INSTRUMENTS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

Leave a comment

It’s been a productive morning. I plan on heading to the house here in a few minutes from my office on the road, but before I do I am thinking about where I left the story off about “Salvational Engineering”. I left it off wanting to write about our “machines” (bodies) as the outermost circle of our Person of three circles. Right now my body is gradually declining into the desire for sleep after having worked overnight, and so this machine is preparing to shut down for a few hours.

Did you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit?

1 Corinthians 6:18-20
18 Flee sexual immorality. Every other sin that a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you have been bought for a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

There are a few things I want to distract myself with once I get to the house, one of them being to watch an episode from a series or a movie as down time. However, I know that will not be wise because there are other responsibilities I need to take care of aside from reaching my goal for this site, and career path with my wife. So what I’m going to do is go to the house and prepare for sleep. 

Romans 6:12-14
12 Therefore sin is not to reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 13 and do not go on presenting the parts of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those who are alive from the dead, and your body’s parts as instruments of righteousness for God. 14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under the Law but under grace.

Right now I’m under the grace of God to exercise my body’s parts as instruments of righteousness. To do that I need to leave. This machine of mine is ready to rest, and I know in the past when I was beyond tired I acted delirious. When in a state of delirium I was more vulnerable to unrighteousness and susceptible to sin. Wisdom teaches me to be aware of the state of my body, to manage each moment at a time to present my mortal body as alive from the dead. So that’s what I’m going to do.

I die devotionals, Nathan Dooley

When you lie down | P3-V24

Leave a comment

The Rewards of Wisdom

Proverbs 3; I die daily devotional.

23 Then you will walk in your way securely And your foot will not stumble. 24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid; When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. 25 Do not be afraid of sudden fear Nor of the onslaught of the wicked when it comes; 

There was a time when I was a Mover and worked so hard that I couldn’t get out of my car once arrived home—not without taking a few moments of rest—before heading to the door of my home; then, once through the door, it was a few moments on the couch; from the couch, all I remember is waking up in my bed thinking, “How did I get here?” But then I remember having a strange dream that my wife [Laura] was carrying me somewhere. Hmmmm? But I tell you what … the sleep … was SO sweet!

Nowadays my work is a combination of physical, spiritual, and mental, but the sleep … is not as sweet as it once was. My theory is how I’m using my rejuvenated energy to be equally expended on each resource for a desired outcome that doesn’t meet my fullest potential. As a result, my sleep cycle shifts to what energy I have left in the tank and thus—will endure the contrast of a sweet sleep. So wisdom is teaching me how to be responsible with energy given me each day in the honor of His glory.

However, putting what I’ve learned to practice is a whole other issue entirely, the discipline is good.

Now being that Jesus was God incarnate during His stay on the earth, the energy that Jesus expended was the power of God for the sake of our salvation. Jesus accomplished being the Son of God in human form without compromise, He didn’t sin although experienced the nature of human flesh (all that tempts us) yet without sin. It’s a remarkable thing to think about! And a joy to know that our God knows exactly what we’re going through and up against in this life of death!

But see, that’s our good news! That’s what it means to have eternal life! Death was defeated at the cross of God our Savior through Jesus Christ.

Titus 3:4 But when the kindness of God our Savior and His  love for mankind appeared, 5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we did in righteousness, but in accordance with His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He richly poured out upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Oh man!

I could write about God’s love all day!

How amazing is it to experience the recourses of our God while yet in our mistakes? How blessed are we to be given an opportunity to change our mind about how we aught to live and serve God? Our duty to serve is not burdensome when we understand this love of God which served us by reason and revelation of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus taught us how to serve by washing His disciples feet, and how to love by His silence against railing accusations of sin that no other man was guiltless to claim before throwing a stone at the guilty than the Man of Innocence, the Son of God, murdered by crucifixion on a cross.

It pierces my heart to know what sin cost, but thanks be to God for the cost paid in full through Jesus Christ our Lord!

We can lie down to sleep and our sleep be sweet.

Grace and peace be multiplied to you beloved, in Jesus name, amen.

RESOURCE

Proverbs 3 (NASB)—blueletterbible.org
1 My son, do not forget my teaching, But let your heart keep my commandments; 2 For length of days and years of life And peace they will add to you. 3 Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 So you will find favor and good repute In the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil. 8 It will be healing to your body And refreshment to your bones. 9 Honor the LORD from your wealth And from the first of all your produce; 10 So your barns will be filled with plenty And your vats will overflow with new wine. 11 My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD Or loathe His reproof, 12 For whom the LORD loves He reproves, Even as a father  corrects the son in whom he delights. 13 How blessed is the man who finds wisdom And the man who gains understanding. 14 For her profit is better than the profit of silver And her gain better than fine gold. 15 She is more precious than jewels; And nothing you desire compares with her. 16 Long life is in her right hand; In her left hand are riches and honor. 17 Her ways are pleasant ways And all her paths are peace. 18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who hold her fast. 19 The LORD by wisdom founded the earth, By understanding He established the heavens. 20 By His knowledge the deeps were broken up And the skies drip with dew. 21 My son, let them not vanish from your sight; Keep sound wisdom and discretion, 22 So they will be life to your soul And adornment to your neck. 23 Then you will walk in your way securely And your foot will not stumble. 24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid; When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. 25 Do not be afraid of sudden fear Nor of the onslaught of the wicked when it comes; 26 For the LORD will be your confidence And will keep your foot from being caught. 27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in your power to do it. 28 Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back, And tomorrow I will give it, ”When you have it with you. 29 Do not devise harm against your neighbor, While he lives securely beside you. 30 Do not contend with a man without cause, If he has done you no harm. 31 Do not envy a man of violence And do not choose any of his ways. 32 For the devious are an abomination to the LORD; But He is intimate with the upright. 33 The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, But He blesses the dwelling of the righteous. 34 Though He scoffs at the scoffers, Yet He gives grace to the afflicted. 35 The wise will inherit honor, But fools  display dishonor.

COMMENTARY

Chapter 3

Matthew Henry (P3-V24) Commentary
(2.) In their rest by night, v. 24. In our retirements we lie exposed and are most subject to frights. “But keep up communion with God, and keep a good conscience, and then when thou liest down thou shalt not be afraid of fire, or thieves, or specters, or any of the terrors of darkness, knowing that when we, and all our friends, are asleep, yet he that keeps Israel and every true-born Israelite neither slumbers nor sleeps, and to him thou hast committed thyself and taken shelter under the shadow of his wings. Thou shalt lie down, and not need to sit up to keep guard; having lain down, thou shalt sleep, and not have thy eyes held waking by care and fear; and thy sleep shall be sweet and refreshing to thee, being not disturbed by any alarms from without or from within,’ Ps. 4:8; 116:7. The way to have a good night is to keep a good conscience; and the sleep, as of the labouring man, so of the wise and godly man, is sweet.