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Tag: Rest

  • Resting in the Bible amidst Anxiety

    Resting in the Bible amidst Anxiety

    Jesus extends this comforting invitation:

    “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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28).

    These words seem so straightforward—just trust in Jesus. “I’ve already trusted Jesus for my salvation,” you answer. Yet, when anxious thoughts grip a believer, trusting feels anything but simple. But the Bible offers more than just this one insight on finding rest or peace in the Lord in the midst of trouble.

    Resting in the Lord isn’t passive or automatic, especially during crises. We often picture rest as being still or simply leaving our burdens at Jesus’ feet. Yet, Scripture teaches that to truly rest in the Lord during trials, we first need to cast all our worries on God, trusting that He cares deeply for us (1 Peter 5:7).

    Before we can find rest in Him, we must first know who He is and trust in His character and promises. Before we can rest, we need to first have a living faith like the Egyptian midwives, who feared God more than they feared Pharaoh. Before we can find rest and peace, we must first entrust ourselves and our loved ones to the Lord of heaven and earth, whom we know to be sovereign, wise, good, just, and holy. But how can we trust the Lord without knowing Him? And how can we know Him without immersing ourselves in Scripture?

    The Bible is an indispensable way that God ministers to us when troubles assail us from every side.

    Here are four places where I regularly find rest in the turmoil of life.

    1. The Psalms and Prophets.

    The Psalms and Prophets are filled with prayers that help us express our emotions, worship, and seek God in our need. If we are to follow God’s prescription for anxiety, and thereby experience the peace of God and the God of peace described in Philippians 4:6-7, the Psalms provide the perfect model for praying about everything, asking God for what we need, and thanking Him for what He has done.

    For example, Psalm 139 is a powerful prayer when facing anxious thoughts about the future. It reminds us that God knows, God sees, and God cares for us personally and individually. From before birth, He authored the days of our lives:

    In his time of distress, David prayed, “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” (Psalm 139:16)

    This Psalm is a prayer we can make our own, declaring that God is in control and our days are in His hands. Knowing that God is a personal God– all-seeing, all-knowing, all-powerful, and present everywhere– puts anxiety to rest.

    The Psalms help us re-align our anxious minds with God’s reality, so we can trust in what is unseen, rather than be overcome by what is seen.

    Psalm 27 reminds us that the Lord is our light, our salvation, our stronghold, our shelter, our rock. These are powerful visual symbols of God’s character. They help us regain perspective when our problems seem insurmountable, teaching us to seek safety in God’s presence, rather than just comfort or relief.

    Psalm 27 also gives us specific words to pray in these moments of crisis:
    “Hear my voice… Be merciful… Answer me… Do not hide your face… Do not turn away… Teach me your ways… Lead me in a straight path… Do not hand me over to my enemies.” (Psalm 27:7-12)

    The end of Psalm 27 gives us the bedrock for confidence:

    “I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living!
    14 Wait for the Lord;
    be strong, and let your heart take courage;
    wait for the Lord!” (Psalm 27:13-14).

    This is what we need most of all when anxious thoughts grip us: To declare our confidence in the Lord’s goodness. To be strong and courageous in the Lord. To wait for the Lord. To rest in his provision and justice. In waiting we find rest.

    Here are some more words from King David and the prophet Isaiah that give me rest when tempted with anxiety:

    “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)

    “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)

    “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul.” (Psalm 23)

     

    1. God’s promises.

    Psalm 91 has been a treasury of God’s promises to me. David declares:

    “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
    2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”

    This Psalm promises rest and refuge to God’s people amidst real threats. David doesn’t minimise these threats, but describes them vividly: Night terrors, arrows by day, pestilence stalking us in darkness and plague at midday. But the promise of rest and refuge is conditional: If we make the Most High our dwelling place…then God will rescue us because of his great love for us; He will protect us because we acknowledge his name; He will answer our cries when we call upon Him; He will be with us in trouble; He will deliver and honour us; He will satisfy us and show us his salvation.

    The conclusion of Psalm 91 is this: God promises to watch over those who actively put their trust in Him, especially in times of great stress and fear. His deliverance might not always be now or instant, but He will ultimately rescue His children. In the heat of trouble, His presence is our safe home and dwelling place. Because of these promises, we don’t need to worry, fret or fear. We can find rest in the Lord’s presence.

    Hebrews 13:5, Philippians 4:19 and Romans 8:38-39, are also promises worth banking, to enable us to rest in and through trials.

    1. Biblical Narratives

    The stories of real people in the Bible are not just historical accounts or myths— Paul says that the Old Testament stories were written down as examples for us, to warn us, and to help us in our own temptations and testings. (1 Corinthians 10:11.) Provided that we read them in context, biblical narratives are recorded to guide us through our own struggles and ultimately to lead us to Jesus.

    For example, in 2 Chronicles 20, King Jehoshaphat faced a terrifying enemy invasion. In great fear, he gathered the people together to seek help from the Lord. His prayer is a wonderful example of how to acknowledge our weakness and God’s strength. It’s a cry for help when you feel completely powerless. It ends like this:

    “O God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do…but our eyes are upon you. All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the Lord. Their eyes were on the Lord.”

    “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” Aren’t those perfect words to pray to God in our time of need?

    God responded to Jehoshaphat, “Do not be afraid… the battle is not yours, but God’s… the Lord will be with you.” Jehoshaphat’s story teaches us five powerful lessons in crisis:

    • Seek God first.
    • Declare who God is and stand firmly on His promises.
    • Keep your eyes on the Lord, not circumstances.
    • Worship, sing, and pray with God’s people.
    • Let your crisis lead you to Christ, the Warrior King who fights for you.

    The powerful Exodus narrative also reminds us that God hears our cries, remembers His promises, sees our pain, and knows our struggles (Exodus 2:23-25).

    … “And the sons of Israel sighed because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry for help because of their bondage rose up to God. So God heard their groaning; and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  God saw the sons of Israel, and God took notice of them.” Note:

    1. God heard their groanings…2. God remembered his covenant with his people…3. God saw them…4. God knew them.

    Don’t we also need to be assured of these four truths? The Exodus from Egypt is one of the most epic stories of deliverance, telling us why we can entrust ourselves to God’s loving care. But God sent an infinitely greater Moses, his own beloved Son to deliver us from slavery to sin. Jesus has already secured our freedom from our most dreadful enemies—sin and death. He is our ultimate Redeemer.

    And because of Christ, you and I can be confident that, even as we hurt and fear, are oppressed and afflicted, laden with heavy burdens… He hears our groanings, He remembers his covenant with us, He sees our pain…He knows all about it. He is familiar with suffering. And He died on the cross to do something about it.

    Here is a reality check for us to ponder as we seek rest amidst trouble:

    “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32)

    4. The Words of Jesus.

    Jesus not only promised to give us ultimate rest from our sin and striving, but he also showed believers how to find rest in a broken world. Jesus addressed one of the biggest causes of anxiety —fear of the future. He reminded us not to worry, but rather to focus on today, trusting our heavenly Father to provide for tomorrow.

    “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matt 6:25-34)

    In an age of anxiety, Jesus’s words remind us to carefully choose what we focus on and take it one day at a time. Fixing our minds on what is true and right helps to keep our eyes on God’s love and care, especially when fear and anxiety threaten to overwhelm us (Philippians 4:8). It’s the way that we take captive every thought to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor 10:5). Through the pages of the Bible, Jesus speaks words of comfort and courage when we feel overwhelmed. We hear whispers of his voice, “Peace, be still!”

    Anchor in the storm.

    I’ve experienced this myself recently. Anxiety has been knocking at my door, desiring to master me. I wake up in the night, my heart racing, feeling gripped by panic. There are so many “what ifs” swirling in my mind, sucking me into their vortex. I won’t bore you with the details, but the source of my fear is real and potent, and I am tempted to become anxious. But God commands me to be anxious for nothing (Phil 4:6) and to cast all my anxiety on Him (1 Peter 5:7). He commands me not to fret or worry, but instead to commit my way to the Lord, to wait patiently for Him, to hope and take delight in Him (Psalm 37:1, 5-7; Matt 5:25). The Lord will never command what He cannot empower.

    God is faithfully meeting me in His Word, stilling my heart day by day. It’s not an instant cure, but each day, the Bible gives me words to pray when I can’t find my own. It gives me reasons to be thankful, to delight in God, and to trust Him. My daily readings provide the sword I need to battle anxiety and the strength to face another day without being consumed by worry. Without the Bible’s anchor, I would be cast adrift at sea.

    In seasons of trouble, it is in the pages of Scripture that we find rest—rest that only Christ can give. The Bible is an indispensable first aid kit that God has provided to minister to us when anxiety threatens. It is an anchor in stormy seas.

    Do you know it? Do you use it? Are you finding rest in God’s word?

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Rest for the weary

    Rest for the weary

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    New series: Texts that changed my life.

    If I were to make a mini-series of our society, I would call it “The Weary and the Restless.” Many of us  are staggering under demanding burdens, far too heavy to bear. Exhausted, stressed, overworked, or worried about not having work, South Africans live with nagging fears about the future, crime and the shaky economy. Many are frantically eyeing secure havens for their families while others feverishly tick off their bucket lists of exotic destinations and physical challenges. Perhaps it’s because I’m turning fifty this week and my generation is clawing at the last vestiges of youth! But even if you haven’t succumbed to the crazy restlessness of mid-life crisis, it is rare to find a soul that isn’t burdened by the ever-increasing pace of the year, runaway technology, and relentless expenses. Added to this basic burden of weariness, is the weight of economic and political upheaval which presses down on the world like a giant blanket, squeezing more from us than we are able to give. The truth is that humanity has been profoundly weary since sin came into the world and paradise was lost in Genesis 3. Jesus Christ makes a simple offer of HIMSELF– the eternal God made flesh. He invites us to give up our burdens and willingly take on his yoke of life and freedom. In a world that is staggering under heavy burdens of sin, fear and brokenness, Jesus alone has the power to give us soul rest.

    Matthew 11:28-30:

    28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.29 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. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

    Our work, and Christ’s

    In the context of Matthew’s gospel, Christ makes it plain that true soul rest can only be achieved through his death on the cross. He is not offering us a day at the spa!

    On the cross, Jesus finished the “work” needed to bring us peace with God and end our restless wandering. Only the perfect God-man could bear our burden of sin. The empty tomb and his risen body proved that Christ’s “work” was acceptable and perfect. Nothing more could be added to it. That’s why Jesus “rested” when He ascended into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God (Heb 10:12). In return for his work on the cross, Jesus offers us rest from our own efforts to be acceptable to God. He invites us to stop and listen, to cease our restless striving, and to find our rest in His perfect work. We bear the easy yoke of believing and obeying Him.

    The easy yoke of work and rest

    It’s easy to divide our lives into work and rest as if they are a divorced couple that cannot live in the same house. But Jesus sees no incompatibility or contradiction between them. Instead, he lays yoke and rest side by side as a paradox.  A “yoke” is a board that is placed over two cattle pulling a plough. The image implies labour, as the oxen pull together to plough row after row of hard soil. At the same time that the oxen are working, the yoke eases the weight of the load. The yoke makes the burden lighter. Jesus offers his disciples rest and an easy yoke in the same breath. Obeying the gospel of Christ is not a heavy burden but a blessed yoke, because when we attach ourselves to Jesus, we are free to live and work and flourish as human beings were designed to.  When the crowds asked Jesus, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus replied that our work is believing in Him whom God has sent (John 6:29). Later Jesus gave his disciples a strange job description: Their work was simply to remain attached to Jesus (the true vine) and allow God (the vinedresser) to do his work of pruning to make them fruitful (John 15:1-4).

     

    Our work is simply to believe, abide and obey Christ! He has done the rest on our behalf. That is why Christ’s yoke is easy and his burden light.

    Soul rest

    For those who accept his invitation to come, the Lord Jesus replaces our burden of guilt and restlessness with deep soul rest. It is the true rest to which the Sabbath points: “There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God. For anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his” (Heb 4:9-10).

    Entering into God’s rest is not a once-off event that happens the day we place our trust in Jesus. It is a moment-by-moment faith journey in which we must stop our striving and rest in God’s promises fulfilled by Jesus. We look forward to our ultimate rest in God’s eternal kingdom when we will rest from the hard labours of service in this age. “Yes”, says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labour, for their deeds will follow them” (Rev 14:13). In contrast, those who do not accept Christ’s invitation to come to Him will have no rest, day or night (Rev 14:11).

    If the stakes of Christ’s invitation are this high, we must ask ourselves some honest questions–

    Have we accepted Christ’s offer of rest and submitted to his yoke by believing, obeying and abiding in Him?

    Are we living our lives as restful disciples of Christ? Or are we as weary and restless as the world around us?

    Rest is…

    Rest is not about working less, doing more, or existing in a peace bubble. Rest is about the posture of our hearts as we go about the labours of life.

    REST IS… believing that Jesus is who He claims to be—our Messiah who has freed us from sin’s tyranny and bought us peace with God. Rest is dropping our burden of sin, shame and striving at the foot of his cross and living as his disciple.

    REST IS… trusting that Jesus will do what He says He will do. Rest is casting all our anxiety on Him because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). Rest is depending on Jesus to supply every need (Phil 4:19), to give us peace in tribulation and life in death (John 16:33; John 11:25).

    REST IS…coming to Jesus with every question, feeling and fear that burdens us, allowing Him to quench our soul thirst for approval, belonging, fulfilment, purpose and identity.

    REST IS…abiding in Jesus as the vine, offering ourselves to be useful in His kingdom work and drawing from his grace to become fruitful branches.

    REST IS…being contented and thankful, resting in God’s perfect purposes for our lives.

    REST IS…yoking ourselves to Jesus as we move in the same direction and at the right speed in our work. It is labouring alongside the author and perfecter of our faith (Heb 12:2).

    In moments when I find myself becoming restless and weary in my soul, I love to read this quote on my fridge. It was written by Elizabeth Elliot, whose missionary husband was killed by the people he came to serve:

    “Restlessness and impatience change nothing except our peace and joy. Peace does not dwell in outward things, but in the heart prepared to wait trustfully and quietly on Him who has all things safely in His hands.”

    A poem about Rest

    Soul rest lies at the heart of the gospel. My son, Stuart, gave me permission to end with a heartfelt poem he wrote in response to Matthew 11:28-30.  My prayer is that every person who reads it will experience the deep rest that only Jesus has the power to give:

    I live in a bubble
    Of logic
    Desperately clawing
    At matter
    That doesn’t
    Reasoning how I
    A Good Man
    Can work
    Myself so hard
    That my muscles become scars
    That my bones become dead branches
    So He cannot
    Say no

    But I am always
    Clawing
    Never attaining
    A handhold
    That I can cling to
    And I don’t know why

    I make sense
    If I receive
    I must give
    And I have received
    A gift so precious
    That no man could comprehend
    The magnitude of its value
    But out of habit
    I work
    To repay the incalculable debt

    I am in the trenches
    Shovel in hand
    Sweat soaked brow
    Dust plated lungs
    Milky white eyes
    Peeking through
    A cesspool of muck
    I look around
    Others like me
    As far as my tired eyes can see
    Furiously chiseling
    With blunt tools
    At stubborn ground
    Dust is the only reward

    My muscles are like
    My gran’s mushy peas
    But I keep digging
    Deeper and deeper
    Further coating my face
    With grit
    Which clings
    Like iron shavings to a magnet

    A man
    In dazzling white
    Strides through
    The dismal mire
    Not a speck of grit
    Dares get close to him
    I look up to him
    He has figured out
    How not to work
    How?
    A voice
    As harsh as thunder
    On the Highveld
    But soft
    As a well groomed Labrador’s fur
    Emanates across the trenches

    I lift my broken face
    To look at the dazzling face
    From where the voice came
    I see a few forlorn faces lift
    But almost everyone continues
    As if they had simply heard
    An ibis’s morning cry

    There is no sign of strain in the voice
    It is as clear
    As a fresh sea breeze
    On a crisp autumn morning
    “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 fall to my knees
    With hands raised
    In awe of his presence
    I see His hand
    Dark and calloused
    From years of manual labour
    Extended to my forlorn state
    Tears run down my face
    Like a stream running down the contour
    Of a sparse mountain
    I dare not touch this spotless hand
    With my foul excuse for an appendage

    He steps in to my trench
    With grace abounding
    And picks up the scarred mess
    That is my body
    And carries me out
    In able arms
    I am home
    For years I have toiled
    To earn the right
    To be free
    But here I am
    In my Abba’s arms
    Dirty
    But covered by his perfection

    I look out to the other trenches
    I call out to them
    With tear-stained cheeks
    That we don’t have to break ourselves
    Any longer
    We have been made enough
    Not by our labours
    But by His
    No eyes move away from the ground
    Not so much as an eyebrow is raised
    I scream more earnestly
    But nothing changes

    I am free
    All I want to do is to show others
    The joy I have found
    He looks at me
    With a kind expression
    As if having gone through this
    A thousand times or more
    “For the message of the cross
    Is foolishness to the perishing,
    But to us who are being saved
    It is the power of God.”

    Worship and pray

    Thank Jesus for his finished work on the cross, and ask him to fill you afresh with deep soul rest, as you listen to this song by Andrew Peterson, “God Rested”.[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container background_color=”#ffffff” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”5%” padding_right=”5%” hundred_percent=”yes” equal_height_columns=”yes” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_3″ last=”no” spacing=”yes” center_content=”yes” hide_on_mobile=”no” 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min_height=”none”][fusion_title size=”2″ content_align=”left” style_type=”default” sep_color=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]Other devotions from the God Walk…[/fusion_title][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_recent_posts layout=”default” hover_type=”none” columns=”3″ number_posts=”6″ offset=”” cat_slug=”devotion” exclude_cats=”” thumbnail=”yes” title=”yes” meta=”no” excerpt=”yes” excerpt_length=”0″ strip_html=”yes” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][/fusion_recent_posts][fusion_text]– more devotions 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