When It’s Time to Return to Your Rest
Return to your rest, my soul, for the LORD has been good to you. – Psalm 116:7 NIV
photo: Raye Wortel
There comes a time when you must tell your soul to return to its rest.
Maybe your life these last weeks, months, or year has looked plenty like David’s life from the Old Testament.
Maybe you’ve been on the run and forced to hide, alone, in dark places.
Maybe you’ve had to fight in wicked battles you did not start.
Maybe bitter circumstances have driven you to desolate hills, away from a life you thought was yours.
Maybe someone’s wild anger – an anger you don’t quite understand, haunts your steps.
Maybe unexpected troubles have left you distressed, full of sorrow, and deeply afraid.
Wherever you’ve been and whatever you’ve endured, now is the time to return to your rest.
Why?
Because hard times are best overcome with thanksgiving.
When adversity and sorrow overwhelm, when our enemies pursue like hounds, when we are brought low against our will, we must fight back with thankfulness.
We must return to our Rest – to our Lord, for He has been good to us.
He has wiped away our tears and kept us from stumbling. He has heard our voice and turned His ear towards us, He has protected us with compassion, grace and righteousness, and He has saved us when we’ve been brought low. Psalm 116
I know right now, you may feel outside His protection or compassion, and you question whether He hears your voice. You may even believe He has no desire to save you from your pain.
But my friend, at this moment, you are breathing.
You are reading these words, another day has dawned, and God is not finished with you yet.
He sustains you. Hope is alive and thankfulness is your armor AND your answer.
For you, Lord, have delivered me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before the LORD in the land of the living. Psalm 116:8-9
Return to your rest and give Him thanks, for the LORD has been oh so good to you.
A Special Note …
While it’s important to return to our rest, sometimes plain old rest is necessary, too. That’s why Renae and I have decided to take a break from writing for a while. We promise to return in 2017 with fresh inspiration, and new and exciting things for you – our faithful friends and readers.
We can’t wait to see what next year holds, and we’d love for you to keep traveling with us on this hope filled journey. May you find rest and abundant joy throughout the holidays, and may the new year fill you with renewed hope and trust in the Lord!