Soul Rest!

April 1, 2021

Soul Rest!

I live life at a frenetic pace.  I get a rush from the intensity, the passion, and the laser-focus.  To celebrate the past, live fully in the moment, and chase hard after a God-sized dream enthuses, energizes, and invigorates.

Maybe it’s because I know that life is much more fragile and precious than most of us realize.  A few weeks ago, I sat with a family who was grieving the loss of someone they loved.  A mother with two very young children died at the age of 31 years.  I was reminded that life is fragile and precious!

I live my life at a frenetic pace because I don’t want to miss out on a single moment.  I also live a sometimes frenzied life because I am convinced Jesus is about to do something extraordinary…and I don’t want to miss it.

However, there are times when it seems I am rushing through life.  I re-call the words of an old Alabama song, “I’m In A Hurry” (Lyrics by Randy VanWarmer and Roger Murrah, 1992).  The group sings;

“I’m in a hurry to get things done
Oh I rush and rush until life’s no fun
All I really gotta do is live and die
But I’m in a hurry and don’t know why.”

I wonder if I am missing too many of the God-moments that Jesus is laying right in front of me.  I am running and rushing through each day; I am sprinting and scurrying through life.  Sometimes I am pushed by troubles and traumas.  Sometimes I am pushed by a promise or a possibility.  Sometimes I am pushed by a lack of discipline or a lack of direction.  I’m in a rush!

Sometimes my soul longs for some rest.  In Psalm 22:2 we hear our cry for soul-rest; “O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer; and by night, but find no rest.”  Sometimes I have pushed too hard and too long.  I cry out to the Jesus for some relief, some renewal, some soul-rest.

The need for soul-rest is stitched into our DNA from the moment life was first breathed into us.  Soul-rest is part of what it means to be created in the image of God.  Following the creation of all life, the first thing that the Lord God does is rest. 

In Genesis 2:2 we hear; “And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested…”  Because we are created in the image of God, we, too, require soul-rest.

Jesus understands our need for soul-rest.  In Matthew 11:28 Jesus says; “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”  Jesus is clear that our soul finds the rest for which it longs when we draw near to Jesus. 

The prayers of the Psalmist can become our prayers for soul-rest.

In Psalm 23:3 we hear the promise that the Lord will give us soul-rest;

“…he restores my soul.” 

In Psalm 51:12 we hear the confidence the Lord will give us soul-rest;

“Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit.”

In Psalm 55:6 we hear our soul’s deep desire for rest;

“O that I had wings like a dove!  I would fly away and be at rest…”

In Psalm 116:7 we hear the invitation to experience soul-rest;

“Return, O my soul, to your rest, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.”

This is Holy Week; a week to remember the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.  It is a week to pause and ponder, a week to focus and follow, a week to reflect and rest. 

I invite you to draw near to Jesus and ask for the rest and renewal and refreshment your soul needs most.    As you experience soul-rest in Jesus, you will again find your heart taking delight in the Lord.

Take delight in the Lord!

Doug