Finding Rest
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 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. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30 NKJV
Lately, I have been struggling with getting the proper amount of rest. I would wake up in the middle of the night and would be unable to fall back to sleep until it was time to get the grandchildren up for school. This was not a one-day aberration. This has been going on for over a week. After a couple of days, I found myself exhausted with no relief in sight. My wife was concerned as she is prone to be and prayed it would eventually get better the other night.
During difficult times, it is all too easy to lose sight of God's presence. When we encounter problems in life, our instinct is to focus solely on finding solutions or taking steps to prevent issues from arising. This habit of self-reliance can cause us to forget that our true strength comes from God. When life feels secure, we may overlook the fact that we are under God's protection. Challenges at work or in other areas can prompt us to search for wisdom on our own instead of seeking guidance from Him. Even when our needs are simple, we often neglect to ask God for provision. Rest is a basic need, yet our efforts to improve it often involve searching for practical solutions or investigating possible causes. In doing so, we may forget to turn to God, the ultimate provider of rest.
God is our all-knowing provider for true rest and restoration. I listened to a sermon that helped me better understand how God provides us rest. When we typically view today’s verse, it usually is in the context of getting relief from some sort of anxiety or challenge. While it is true that God helps us in times of trouble, it is equally important to realize that His promise of rest is much broader than just relief during crises. In our daily routines, especially in busy households, moments of quiet can seem rare and fleeting. Yet there are always small moments during the day or evening where we have a moment of quiet. The challenge is that instead of turning to God during these moments, we often fill them with distractions such as television, chores, social media, or other activities.
We can lose sight of the fact that these intervals are perfect times to connect with our true source of rest. When we choose to bring our condition before God in prayer, we can experience what Scripture calls perfect peace, as described in Isaiah 26:3: “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” In these moments, our minds become clear, free from distractions, and aligned with God’s will. Our spirits unite with God's desires for our lives, leading us into genuine rest and tranquility.
In the gentle stillness of those quiet moments, we find both an invitation and opportunity from God to lay our burdens at His feet. Whether on restless nights or in the anxious pulse of daily life, He remains ever present, waiting to offer us the deep rest our souls crave. We do not need to wait for moments of crisis or complex issues for us to reach out. We just need to be intentional in finding that place for perfect peace. So, let us not overlook these fleeting pauses. Instead, let us draw near in faith, trusting Jesus who promises rest that is steadfast and complete. What is your level of rest today? Where are the moments that you have filled with other things that you can prioritize finding prayer time for God? My prayer is we trust the Lord for in Him we can indeed find rest. Amen.
P.S. I slept like a baby last night.