Return to Your Rest

 Ps 116:7 Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you. Psalm 116:7

Soothing verse!

However, rest goes much deeper than sleep or recreation. This rest affects the soul. Our souls get tired. From what?

How about sleepless nights, dreary days, overwhelming responsibilities, problems at home, problems at work, illnesses, relationships, change or a loved one’s death.

Yet, let’s go a little further. What exhausts our souls even more than those things? How about bitterness, unforgiveness, resentment, jealousy, over-anger, control, pickiness, self-pity,….and the list goes on.

The Psalmist, who wrote the chapter, was indeed, dealing with the former: an illness or a dangerous situation that brought him near death. He cried out to God and God delivered him.

That’s when he said, “Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.”

Eventually, this man succumbed to death, whether through illness, injury or old age. Yet, somehow, it is good to know that today, we can return to rest for our souls no matter what is going on in our lives.

I’ve thought about this all week. My soul hasn’t felt restful lately. And I wondered what was wrong. Why couldn’t I just pray and then everything change for the good?

I realize that several options present themselves. My unchangeable circumstances are not limiting me. If this was a permanent situation, I would eventually, somehow, have to find my peace with God. But my current season will not last long.

I simply have felt like I was drowning with too many things on my plate. Anger has been chipping away at my armor, behind the scenes, in quiet jabs from the enemy and uneasy feelings, filling my thoughts with a lack of peace. I haven’t been ill or dying (like the man in the Psalm), but inside I felt like I was. I had to make a change or my soul would not find rest.

At one point, I asked God to help me. I cried out to Him as the Psalmist did.

Ideas began to flow in my mind. It dawned on me to take a good look at my days and prioritize the things that reflected my life’s goals (as directed by God). Maybe this sounds simplistic. Being able to reassess my life typically comes easy for me. Why hadn’t I thought of that before?

Because life sometimes slips in and takes over.

“No more!” I said to myself.

It helped to sit with God and reevaluate His plan for me. Perfection wasn’t the goal, as much as knowing the direction to take…with Him as my guide, and also, knowing that this would be a process, not an overnight change! In other words, there would be no quick fix to my life. (I wasn’t immediately delivered.) The process of going through something hard seems to be a work that God wants to do in my soul to grow me.

Sometimes, He gives quick answers of yes or no.
Sometimes, He says, wait.
And sometimes, He gives the answer by saying, “This is going to take a long time for you to learn (comprehend and understand). Nevertheless, I am here, and I am doing a mighty work, trust me!”

God is good, so good. And He shows me His goodness in some pretty funny ways.

Our new puppy loves to ‘hug’ me. We’re adjusting to each other and she is messy. So I have decided to put on old jeans and a T-shirt and then get down on the floor with her. I stroke her soft fur and let her give me wiggly, wild kisses on my chin. After that, she seems to settle down…for the moment.

I can be pretty messy (sinful) as well in my human state!

At one time in history, God put on flesh and got down on the floor with us. Jesus came to earth and dwelled among us. His death on a cruel cross was His way of patting our heads, holding us close, comforting us and curing our lostness. Though He is in Heaven now, with His Father, His Spirit is in my heart. He is with me always. He will never leave me. He soothes my anxious mind and settles my fears. He gives me rest. It is mine to take into my soul.

Lord, thank you for holding me tight and loving me so dearly. I am overwhelmed with gratitude at the rest you give my soul. You help me to see my own responsibility for the choices I make for my life. Keep me full of your wisdom. Help me to daily offer my body as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to you. Then I can know your will for me. In Jesus name, Amen.