On the theme of rest, last night during a prayer meeting the LORD lead me to Psalm 116:5-9 which says, "Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yes, our God is merciful. 6 The LORD preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me. 7 Return to your rest,
O my soul, for the LORD has dealt bountifully with
you. 8 For
You have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from
tears, and my feet from falling. 9 I will walk before
the LORD in the land of the living." The psalmist loved the LORD and cried out to Him knowing he would be graciously heard. How blessed are the people whose God is the LORD, the Creator of the heaven and earth.
The good things God does spring from how good He is. God is gracious, righteous, merciful, the One who preserves, a Saviour. In the midst of trouble the psalmist was moved to return to his Rest who is the God who dealt bountifully with him, having delivered his soul from death, eyes from tears, and his feet from falling. Even as we must trust in Jesus Christ to enter into the blessings of the kingdom of God, it is faith which leads us to return to our rest. It is easy without even thinking to leave the rest provided for our souls by Jesus Christ because of the cares of this world. The worries, the "what ifs" and uncertainties flood into our minds and disrupt the perfect peace provided by God's grace.
The rest Jesus gives is not opposed to effort or labour. Jesus did the work of His Father, and He has good works prepared for us to enter into. It is not a life of ease on the heavenly dole we are promised as children of the Most High, but even in the most taxing seasons the perfect peace of God guards our hearts and minds. Jesus has done the work and therefore we work alongside, returning to Him as the Good Shepherd of our souls. He said in Matthew 11:28-29, "Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Stripped of the rest God intends mark us inside and out by doubts and fears, restlessness, carelessness, and forgetfulness are the results. But when we return to Jesus, casting our gaze and cares upon Him, we find rest for our souls even in a storm.
Based on the goodness of God the psalmist whose feet were delivered from falling said in verse 9, "I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living." As long as we live may we live and speak before our great God who is our life. He has created the world in which we live, and sovereignly placed us on our feet in it for His good purposes. Our souls have been spared so we might bring glory to our God, and our eyes He opened have been dried of tears so we might see Him clearly. Psalm 119:105 says, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." By taking heed to His Word our eyes are kept from wandering and delivers our feet from stumbling. I encourage you believer to return to your Rest and enjoy the presence of your King with praise.
The good things God does spring from how good He is. God is gracious, righteous, merciful, the One who preserves, a Saviour. In the midst of trouble the psalmist was moved to return to his Rest who is the God who dealt bountifully with him, having delivered his soul from death, eyes from tears, and his feet from falling. Even as we must trust in Jesus Christ to enter into the blessings of the kingdom of God, it is faith which leads us to return to our rest. It is easy without even thinking to leave the rest provided for our souls by Jesus Christ because of the cares of this world. The worries, the "what ifs" and uncertainties flood into our minds and disrupt the perfect peace provided by God's grace.
The rest Jesus gives is not opposed to effort or labour. Jesus did the work of His Father, and He has good works prepared for us to enter into. It is not a life of ease on the heavenly dole we are promised as children of the Most High, but even in the most taxing seasons the perfect peace of God guards our hearts and minds. Jesus has done the work and therefore we work alongside, returning to Him as the Good Shepherd of our souls. He said in Matthew 11:28-29, "Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Stripped of the rest God intends mark us inside and out by doubts and fears, restlessness, carelessness, and forgetfulness are the results. But when we return to Jesus, casting our gaze and cares upon Him, we find rest for our souls even in a storm.
Based on the goodness of God the psalmist whose feet were delivered from falling said in verse 9, "I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living." As long as we live may we live and speak before our great God who is our life. He has created the world in which we live, and sovereignly placed us on our feet in it for His good purposes. Our souls have been spared so we might bring glory to our God, and our eyes He opened have been dried of tears so we might see Him clearly. Psalm 119:105 says, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." By taking heed to His Word our eyes are kept from wandering and delivers our feet from stumbling. I encourage you believer to return to your Rest and enjoy the presence of your King with praise.