Soul Rest for the Tired and WearySample

The God Who Rests Us

Scripture: Psalm 23:2-3 AMP

When my toddler got cranky, I’d make him lie down. Especially when I noticed him rubbing his eyes, making screechy whines, or becoming over-hyper. These were all signs that refreshment was needed. Rest was his answer. After his nap, He’d wake up a new boy.

A good parent knows when a child needs rest. God knows the same about us.

Our body gets tired. Our mind can’t think. Our soul feels just a little lost. People become huge irritants. Our heart pulsates at a rate far faster than we’d like to admit. Our plans get overwhelming. We’re exhausted. We snap.

God looks out for us the same way. He knows our signs. He sees our actions. He is aware of what we need. God is not a slave-driver; He is a Good Shepherd. He is a Father.

In this, He “lets us” lie down in green pastures. He “leads us” besides still and quiet waters. He “refreshes.” He “restores.” 

Notice that we do not do this work ourselves. No. Instead, we respond to his invitation. He does the leading to a quieter place. We make the conscious and decisive decision to follow Him, even at the cost of other things. If we believe He is a Good Shepherd, we believe that even while we are gone, resting and recuperating, He has a good plan for all that we have set down for a time. We trust that we are not losing out or missing out, but that God is taking up our cause as we trust Him—and we rest.

As we trust Him to lead us, He will lead us. In this leading, we often discover a new mindset about how to proceed. This happens to those willing to operate from a place of rest. Here, what was draining us is actually unnecessary as God gives a better plan, fresh vision for the future, sourced from the place of rest. 

God is so good. He invites you to come and rest a little while.

What makes you feel like you can’t rest? Enter into rest. Discover the new joy, peace, and strategy that He may want to impart to you.