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In today’s world, there seems to be a push to always be busy. To always be striving to make things happen for ourselves. If we are not careful, this worldly way of living can flow into our spiritual lives. Where, instead of looking to God, we are constantly looking to ourselves to figure out what to do next, or ways to overcome our challenges. Where we rely on self and never truly rest in God
Psalm 62:1-2 (NKJV) states: Truly my soul silently waits for God; From Him comes my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved.
The ability to rest in God comes with a knowing that God is and always will be our rock, our salvation, our defense. It comes with a knowing that God is faithful. And because God is faithful, we can willingly release control over our lives and circumstances and patiently wait for God’s move. Psalm 100:3 (NKJV) tells us: Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. To rest in God comes with a knowing that we are the Lord’s and God has already made a way for us.
John 14:26 (NKJV) states: But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
God loves us more than we can ever comprehend. And out of God’s love, God has given us the Holy Spirit to teach us, among other things, how to live lives resting in God. The Holy Spirit will teach us how to withstand fear and worry as we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus who did only what God wanted Him to do, even when it meant being obedient to death on the cross. The Holy Spirit will empower us to rest in God, even in those times when it hurts to do so.
The Holy Spirit can also help us nurture our relationship with God where, out of our personal experiences with God, we come to know God as Father, as Sustainer, as Protector, as Defender, as Provider, as Strong Tower, and so on. The Holy Spirit can help us nurture our relationship with God where, through our personal experiences with God, we come to know God is faithful, trustworthy, reliable, dependable, merciful, gracious, and so on.
With the help of the Holy Spirit, it is possible to live a life where everything about us – our thoughts, our words, our behaviors, our desires, just to name a few – testifies of a life lived resting in God. In this kind of life, God is glorified.
Matther 11:28 (NKJV) states: Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Except where indicated, scripture references are from the American Standard Version (ASV), Darby Translation (DARBY), or King James Version (KJV) – all public domains.
