Rest in the Lord

As I was sleeping the other night, I was given some words, and the words that stuck with me were “Resting in Him.” The Lord wasn’t talking about physical rest that involves taking a break from an activity, but a spiritual rest. Psalm 37:7 says, “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.”

In the Old Testament, God promised the Israelites rest in his presence (Exodus 33:14; Joshua 1:13-15), but the peaceful existence depended on the Israelites remaining faithful and obedient to God’s covenant. This is the same with us. We can find rest in the Lord, but there’s a requirement.

To rest in the Lord requires dwelling in the Lord, and to dwell in the Lord, we must consecrate ourselves to him. We must surrender our lives to him and let him lead us. Isaiah 32:17 says, “The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever.”

As a society, we are a restless people. We are expected to go above and beyond in work and life. We gain our self-worth from our achievements. There’s a natural inclination for us to always be productive, to handle things on our own, but that’s not God’s will for those who belong to him. Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light” Matthew 11:28-30.

As believers, we aren’t immune from life’s storms. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Once you decide to live for Christ, the enemy does everything he can to try to throw you off course. The key is to keep focused on God. Talk to God. Give your burdens to him in prayer, and thank him for what he is doing. Sometimes, we even have to go a step further.

When the war broke out on Ukraine, I was crying at least once a day. It’s not that I didn’t believe God would move for them. I have the utmost faith that he is, but the images, particularly of the children, were taking a toll on my mental state. Then, in bible study, my pastor said something that resonated with me: When we give something to God, we also must ask for a peace about it. So, I did, and God gave me a peace about the situation.

Once I had a peace about that situation, the enemy tried to use something else to attack me, but I pushed through. I still made it to church that night, and I prayed about it, and asked God for peace. That night at church, I may have cried most of the service, but God gave me exactly the message I needed to hear, and the next day was better. Psalm 30:5 says, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Put your trust in Him, no matter the situation, and He will give you rest.