Week 46
Psalm 37:7 “Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.”
The older one gets, the more one values rest. In our youth we have energy and zest. We feel we could conquer the world, and often we attempt to do just that. But as we age, we find our strength and energy are diminished and lessened. We begin to value rest and renewal much more.
The psalmist gives good advice to us, to us who long for rest in our lives. He says, “Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him.” One translation says, “be still” or “quiet” before the Lord, as we wait on Him.
This is not an affirmation of laziness, but it is a recipe for rest and rejuvenation. It is interesting to note that God in the very beginning created in the created order a day of rest. This seems to imply that God has made everything to need renewal and rest. Many people who have attempted to live in contradiction to this principle of rest have sometimes testified that it was foolish for them to act like they did. We don’t break this law; we only break ourselves trying to contradict truth. Added to this, when times of pressure and difficulty come, and we fight the good fight to keep going, afterward we feel drained, and our bodies feel withered. Rest and renewal are needed.
The Lord promises a rest that refreshes and restores to those who look to Him in faith. We look to the Lord in the midst of our agitation, and we trust fully in Him to do what is best and bring good out of difficulty and brokenness. And He will do so, because He has promised His providential oversight and care for His people. And so, we pray, trust in Him, and rest in His kind and wise disposal of the matters that have caused us such turmoil.
In doing this, we find the fruit of calm peace in our souls. We stop trying to control life, we stop attempting to make everything turn out the way we want. Rather, we look to the Lord who is able and willing to bring about truly remarkable and gracious consequences, even from the hardship and wrong. This is our faith! This is our hope! This is God’s promise!
Dear Christian friend, what is agitating you today? What causes you such irritation and struggle today? Will you not in this very moment turn all your heart concerns over to the Lord in prayer, trusting in Him to engage your life in such a way as to bring about God’s glory in and through you, and also to bring about good for your life experience? The beginning of heart peace starts with letting everything go and give them to God. Will you do this?
Prayer: Dear Lord, I need peace in my heart right now. I know that peace comes only from You. I ask that you right now help me to turn my soul struggles to You and trust in You to bring about Your sovereign will and plan. Amen.