There is Peaceful Rest

There is peaceful rest for the soul that comes from the Spirit of God to the one who trusts in God with all their hearts, with an abandoned trust that forsakes all other refuge.  A rest that is tranquil, peaceful, free from internal conflict, quiet, still, and free from distress.  A condition and/or state of heart and soul regardless of outward conditions.  It is a bonus that comes with the gift of peace Jesus gives.  His peace to those who trust in Him… and is our eternal inheritance. 

I have experienced this peaceful rest at different times in my life.  Though it is mine, a gift given to me, I have not always been aware of it or received it in my heart.  I have discovered that it is deeply connected to a continual, growing, intimate walk with Jesus.  It flows from a simple, sweet, abiding trust in Him.  I must confess that the sweetness, the rest and power of abiding trust is not always my experience.  Sometimes I become frozen with fear, sometimes the cares of this world and my heart overwhelms me like a tsunami, sometimes the distraction of evil turns my focus away from Jesus and sometimes my heart just gets broken.  In all of this, I’ve learned, and continue to learn, that the gift of restful peace for my soul is always mine, always waiting for me, always available.  Though it belongs to me, sometimes I must strive to enter it and battle to stay abiding in it!  It is worth the fight! I find myself in a battle during life events, circumstances, the multitude of fears and sorrows that rage war against this beautiful gift of restful peace and seek to rob me of it or attempt to destroy it.  That is when I must dive deep under the thundering waves…  that is when I grab my sword, the Word of God and declare: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High shall abide in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say to the Lord, You are my refuge and my fortress, my God in Whom I trust! (Psalm 91:1-2); that is when I run to Jesus, Who is always in my heart saying “come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest” (Mat 11:28). I return to my resting place, the heart of Jesus, and wait until the raging storm has passed.  Though all the paths before me seem confusing and disheveled by the aftermath of the enemy’s passing army, I can ask God where the good way is, and God will show me, then when I walk that path, there I will find rest for my soul (Jeremiah 6:16).

In this precious, growing, intimate relationship with God, our Father, made possible by and through the death and resurrection of Jesus, we have, at our disposal, the gift of an unending well of salvation from which we can draw from, for any need, anytime.  This “Salvation Well” has the eternal gifts of love, rest, peace, safety, restoration, healing, wisdom, and the gifts go on and on – lavished upon us in God’s unsearchable riches of love and grace.  Jesus said, “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32).He is the Good Shepherd in Whose presence we lack no good thing. (Psalm 23:1). The apostle Paul said to the Romans, that if “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32)

Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, prophesied about Jesus before He was born, saying of Jesus, that He would “…give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1:79).  Amen, Jesus, guide us into the way of peace where we are “resting” in You and Your tender mercies, love and kindness, in the midst of whatever is going on around us and in us.  Help us to dive deep into You, our refuge, to learn from You so that we can abide in Your gift of peaceful rest in our souls, knowing You are greater than anything we encounter and do exceedingly, abundantly, above and beyond what we could ever ask or think, hope or imagine.  What a beautiful refuge, what a beautiful Savior, You are.  Thank you for the precious gift of Your rest.