Rest for Our Hearts
“Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him.” Psalm 62:1
I sit here this morning, curled up on the couch with my Bible, devotional, and a good cup of coffee, soaking in the two-hour school delay we have because of snow. I love the way the world looks covered in a blanket of white, how calm and crisp everything is outside. In Tennessee, it’s like the whole world stops for a few hours when it snows. It’s delightful.
As I sit here, I can’t stop thinking about the idea of rest. Snow days are such a treat as a teacher because it means I have extra time to sleep in, curl up with a book, and get things done. But is that really rest? In some ways, more sleep definitely helps me feel rested, but is my heart at rest even when life slows down?
The Psalmist in Psalm 62:1 seems to know the answer: he says his soul finds rest in God. Not in his circumstances, his free time, his relationships, or his financial security. God is the resting place of our souls, and until we choose to rest and remain in Him, we will be frantically running around trying to fill that deep desire with other things.
When I feel like I’ve lost my rest, it likely means I have wandered away from the presence of God and tried to find comfort in other things. I make a great routine that helps me feel like I am in control. I buy things that I believe (if even for a moment) will help quell the aches of my heart. I get lost in my phone for several hours. I let my own self become the focus of my life.
But what is so beautiful about God is that as soon as I recognize it, He allows me to set down those things that were stealing my rest and turn back to Him. He’s never disappointed or frustrated by my sin of turning to other things. He delights in the fact that I come back to him and am able to enter into His rest.
I’ll leave you with what Paul reminds us of in Hebrews 4:15-16 after he encourages his audience to receive the rest of God: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
Our God is one who loves us and gives us rest. Let’s lay down those things that do not satisfy and turn towards Him today.