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