During this period of my life, I felt I was for the first time, starting to understand what “resting in the Lord” really meant. I had heard that term so many of my years as a Christian, but never fully comprehended what it meant until now. I don’t think anyone can until something shakes their world and then you become determined to learn from it.
Having a prodigal son is what shook my world and I needed my Lord like never before. Suffering many, many days and nights of unrest caused me to become physically ill. My trips to the pond gave me peace and I eventually started to feel rest in my soul, knowing I was relying on God’s strength, not my own. I wanted to dig deeper into this kind of resting though. Here is what I discovered…
Psalm 91:1 – “He who dwells in the shelter of the most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” Each time I went to the pond, I relaxed. I went seeking out my Lord and rested in the presence of His shadow.
Matthew 11:28-29 – “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” I took His Word and learned from Him, gave Him my burdens lightening my load, was drawing nearer to Him and was finding rest for my soul.
I rest in the fact that I am His child and He will never leave me. His strength is much more powerful than mine will ever be so I’ve learned to rest in His strength, not my own. He is an all knowing God. I know nothing, so I rest in His knowledge. His timing is perfect, so I rest on His time table. My prodigal son and I are His children, so I rest in our salvation.
When worry overwhelms us, we have a choice to make. It’s like standing at the crossroads mentioned in Jeremiah 6:16, “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Worry is from the enemy and he would love to pull you down the other path. When he tries this with me, I now stomp my feet as if I’m stomping on him and say ‘NO!”. I take the good way, the path of God and find rest once again.
Now I say with David as he is quoted in Psalm 62:1, “My soul finds rest in God alone.” Why? Verse 2…”He alone is my Rock and my Salvation; He is my fortress, I will never be shaken.
I echo David’s words from Psalm 16:9, “Therefore, my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices, my body also will rest secure.” Why? Verse8, “I have set the Lord before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
So when thinking of my sweet son, not knowing where or how he is, I know he is in the Lord’s care. The Lord has his eye on him. I trust my son to His care. I can let go because my Lord is holding on. I will not be shaken. And I am at rest.
If we can learn to trust Him with everything, even our children, we will win the victory over worry and unrest.
I say rest assured, rest on that!
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