From God comes…
From God comes spiritual rest. When we read scriptures about God giving us rest, many people equate it with physical rest. Which is understandable, since most of us are extremely tired and completely exhausted most of the time. Gone are the days when we wake up and cheerily exclaim, “Good morning, Lord!” Most of us hit the alarm button and groggily moan, “Good Lord! It’s morning!!”
Our society wants more, more, more productivity without providing the time and resources to accomplish it. I recently read an article about an overworked “administrative officer robot” experiencing metal fatigue in Gumi City, South Koreas. The robot threw itself down a flight of stairs in an apparent suicide. Witnesses say that before its fatal plunge, the robot was “circling in one spot as if something was there.” (The Week Magazine, June 19, 2024) It’s pretty bad when even the androids are jumping ship. Of course, this illustrates how desperately physical rest is needed. However, in addition, this can also illustrate the restless spirit of those who do not have God in their lives.
Scriptures encouraging us to rest in the Lord or stating the Lord will give us rest, refer to spiritual rest, not physical (Psalm 37:7; Hebrews 4:1-11). St. Augustine wrote in his Confessions to God, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.” Until we totally surrender and acknowledge our dependence on God, there will be no rest for our souls.
Those who believe in Christ can enter into His rest (Hebrews 4:1). Christ tells us to come to Him and He will give us rest for our souls (Matthew 11:28-30). The Hebrew word in the Old Testament translated as “rest” means “to be at peace,” “to be still,” “to be quiet or calm.” The Greek word for rest in the New Testament metaphorically means “the heavenly blessedness in which God dwells.” Spiritual rest comes through relying on God and having confidence in Him. Only God can give us rest from worry, doubt, confusion, and fear.
Resting in the Lord does not come easily. We must be diligent to actively follow the teachings of Christ (Hebrews 11:9). We must yield and submit which are not natural tendencies. Learning to let go and trust God takes a bit of practice, but turning our problems and anxieties over to Him through prayer can bring us a peace and calm that surpasses all human understanding (Philippians 4:6-8).
Through Jesus, God guards our hearts and minds (Hebrews 4:8). God is in control. When we truly believe God is working all things out for our benefit, we do not have to wander aimlessly in circles like some rabid robot searching for solutions. Nor do we need to fret or be frustrated. We can rest in the Lord.
“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God…”
~James 1:17 (NLT)
