Finding Rest in the Lord
Psalm 62:1 My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him (NIV).
Life can become overwhelming and full of discouragement so quickly. It is only in the Lord that we find rest, peace and hope that the cards we have fallen into will shuffle themselves around and deal out a better hand. It is hard to find peace in unanswered prayers, especially when the life around you is full of chaos. However, we must trust in the Lord (Proverbs 3:5) and remember that unanswered prayers can be the greatest blessings. We find hope in the Lord through the blessings in our lives that we see and so often take for granted. It is not the things of this world that give you happiness, but the gifts from the Lord your God starting from salvation to the joys of laughter.
We are cleansed by the blood of Jesus, sharing his death and resurrection through baptism and receiving the gift of forgiveness (1 Peter 3:21). There is no better feeling than being forgiven by our Father and finding humility as he works on our heart. It can be a low point in your life where you are stripped from your old ways and molded by the Potter’s hands into someone new. Jeremiah 18:4, “But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.”
We often fight this change and holy intervention, but the rewards are great and God’s gift of living water (Revelation 7:17) are eternal. We die to this world so that we may live because of his love and amazing grace. When the world feels like it is at war against you it is only through Jesus that we find our Savior, the one we all need to overcome and conquer the battle. There is nothing too big for our God; he can handle all things and defeat any enemy. “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you,” Romans 16:20.
When life surrounds me with frustration and discouragement I gaze upon my family and find happiness in the simple gifts of God. The best way to find my ground is to grab hold of my roots and minimize what my eyes see by paying attention to the small things. Remember, you aren’t feeding the root; the root is feeding you, Romans 11:18 (MSG). I am so often reminded what really matters when I see laughter in my children; turning out the lights in the house and trying to find each other during a game of cowboys. It is in the joy of their laughter and the touch of my husband that I find thanks and praise in the simplest form. The entire world could fall over and yet those gifts from God are priceless and irreplaceable.
There is nothing wrong with asking God for a break when a break is needed. When the attacks just keep on coming and the burden is to heavy; I pray that the Lord remove my burden and carry my heavy load (Matthew 11:28). In Christ we find mercy and he loves us more than we could ever imagine. He is a Father who disciplines, but a Father who loves and when we ask and believe He is there to answer when we call. I pray you find rest under his wing and in the hands of the merciful. It is peaceful to get out of the sun and under the shadow of His wing. I pray that when life is trying to exhaust you that you find rest in the arms of God and the strength to defeat these obstacles through his supernatural power.
I thank our God for being the God of hope and a place to find refuge.
Psalm 18:2 (NIV)
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
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