Although chaos may surround you externally, God wants to give you rest internally. The Lord said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Rest is more than just ceasing from work—relaxing, slowing down, unwinding, and sleeping. There’s another definition of rest—the definition that God is implying when He gives us this command “rest”. When God says, “be still and know that I am God” or “I will give you rest”, He’s saying be “placed and positioned” in Him—in His promises, in His faithfulness, and in His truth. A hope so secure that when trials and difficulties come, you’re not driven and tossed like the waves crashing all around you. It’s the opposite of what our culture teaches us—which is to stress out and do something now! And, it’s the opposite of our natural tendencies—which is rush into action, fill up our calendars, worry and be consumed with fear. The only way to truly have rest is to know Jesus Christ and allow His promises to overpower everything and everyone else. Here are three ways:
Step #1: Have a Devotional Life
Resting in God’s promises isn’t a one-time response. It’s an actual way of thinking which begins with reading God’s Word consistently. Why? Because once you know God’s character from His Word, and the personal relationship You have with Him, then you can begin to trust Him. You don’t trust someone you don’t know, so it must begin there. When you trust in Jesus, you will find deep satisfying rest in Him.
Step #2: Remember What God’s Already Done
Remember and acknowledge all those times God was faithful to you in the past and how God came through. Those stones of remembrance as I like to call them, are great to have in your toolbox to pull out when restlessness, doubt or fear arises and you can’t manage to see the horizon. This is exactly what David did when he was a servant in Saul’s kingdom. David pulled out his stones of remembrance when he defeated Goliath. David said, “The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” (1 Samuel 17:37). David was afraid I’m sure. But his faith overpowered his fear because he saw the power of God at work before in his life. He knew his life was positioned, placed, and supported in the Lord and that he had gained a great confidence from those faith experiences to go forward. Hebrews 4:9-10 says, “There remains, therefore, a rest for the people of God.” God says that His burden is easy and His yoke is light for those that choose to follow Him. (Matthew 11:28-30)
Step #3: Self-check to See What Exactly it is You’re Carrying
Ask yourself this question: “Is the restlessness and burden I’m carrying right now light or heavy?” If heavy, you’re carrying more weight than you were intended to carry. It means you have to give it to God and trust in His promises. Only then, will you find the rest He promises is available to you in His Word. When you really take the moment to analyze your life, it helps you to see if you’re resting in God’s promises or not.
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Photo credit: http://www.paulstallard.co.uk
Original post here: https://ccsouthbay.org/blog/rest-in-gods-promises
