Find Rest
Rest. It's a wonderful thing and yet so hard to come by. Talk to any adult and one of the things they desire most is to have a day off or a vacation so they can rest. The human body and spirit yearns for it, for peace and comfort.
For me personally, rest has become more than just fighting the alarm clock to catch a few more minutes of sleep. Rest is a state of being more than just an action. Yes, getting 8-hours of sleep a night is very good for your body, but how rested do you feel if those eight hours are filled with fears, worries and even anxious dreams that wake you up with heart palpitations? We've all been there.
Lately, God has been revealing to me that rest is a complete mindset that He wants me to embrace and master, especially in the midst of turmoil, pain, bills, transitions and life changes. He encourages me to find rest in Him, His promises and His love even in the midst of some of life's greatest challenges. Our God understands every hardship and difficult situation we face. He knows every thought, every fear and every moment we fight back tears.
The writer of the book of Hebrews wrote, "This High Priest (Jesus) of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly before the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most" (Hebrews 4:15, 16 NLT).
Grace when we need it most. Those are powerful words. Jesus experienced every pain we have experienced; He didn't get angry at God or seek revenge upon others. He loved when it was the hardest to love. He gave when he had absolutely nothing. He sacrificed even his own body and soul on the cross for our eternal future. And he found rest. He gave everything and more because he loved us and knew we would need the perfect example to follow during this life.
Jesus didn't fight back the tears or ignore the pain when his dear friend Lazarus died. He didn't ignore the growling stomachs of the five thousand people sitting on the hill listening to him preach. He listened to the pain and the problems he face, and he asked His Heavenly Father for help. He found rest in the proven fact that His Father loved Him. That was the ultimate state of rest for Jesus. Yes, he rested physically and needed time alone, but prayer and oneness with God helped Jesus to experience peace in the midst of whatever challenge he faced. And if Jesus, who is God, needed to find rest and mercy in the presence of God, how much more do I, a frail and imperfect human being?
Rest. It's a powerful thing. It is part of the fullness of life that God desires for us. Whatever challenge you face today, I encourage you to find rest---physically, emotionally and spiritually---so that you can experience the grace, mercy and peace that only God can give. It will help even the most agonizing moments of this life to seem a little more dim compared to the magnitude of God's love and our eternity with Him. Be encouraged, my friend, and join me in this perfect rest.
"Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I will declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him" (Psalm 91:1, 2 N:LT).
