Written by Ken Boa, a contemporary author and founder of Reflections Ministry. This is an excerpt from his book “Handbook to God’s Promises.”
Agitated—stirred up—describes the human condition at times. This describes what a chemist does when she combines elements to form a new compound—she agitates them in a beaker, whirling them violently together so that they lose their old identity and gain a new one. Human beings often get agitated, especially on the eve of new undertakings. A six-year-old is agitated on the eve of his first day in first grade; an eighteen-year-old is agitated as she packs for her freshman year at college; a twenty-nine-year-old is agitated as he leaves the security of a comfortable job to start his own business; a seventy-nine-year-old is agitated as she is rolled on a gurney into a surgery that might, or might not, extend her life. As human emotions crash against one another, we need someone to come alongside and answer our “twenty questions”: “Will it be okay?” “Do I have what I need?” “Why am I scared?” “Will you go with me?” “What if I fail?” “How do I reach you?” “Am I doing the right thing?” We need a parent, a friend, a mentor, a doctor, to turn off the agitator in us and allow our emotions to settle—fear over here, despair over there, joy and peace at the head of the line. Most of all, we need God to give us rest. God has been giving rest to agitated souls since souls discovered their emotions. A great example is how He calmed Moses on the eve of a giant step in his life: leading the children of Israel to the Promised Land of Canaan…The answer God gave to Moses is the answer He gives to us: “My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.” God is the only One who can answer our questions. In His presence, our emotions find their rest.
[Moses said to the Lord] “If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people .” The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” [Exodus 33:13-14]
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