“But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side; there is neither adversary nor evil occurrence.”
- (1 Kings 5:4)
The above statement was made by King Solomon in a letter he wrote to Hiram, the King of Tyre. The Christian call is also a call to rest; Jesus said emphatically that all those who labor and are heavy laden should come to Him, and He will give them rest (Matthew 11:28). A vibrant walk with the Lord will grant us rest even in turbulent times. Below are some points to consider via the acronym REST viz:
Repent (from dead works): In Hebrews 6, verse 1 the Bible mentioned repentance from dead works. Dead works are activities that sap our spiritual life, they are activities we engage in that do not have eternal value, and do not produce fruits be it fruits of righteousness, accomplishments, etc. One of such dead works we are to repent from is WORRY. Worry is an antonym of rest, it is borrowing tomorrow’s trouble and bringing it to the present. Worry that persists will put one in anxiety and fear mode which makes the body produce toxins which can be injurious to the physical body. Worry will not allow for clear thinking nor proper evaluation of situations and circumstances. Worry is a roller coaster of emotions in the mind, it is being double minded, and it depicts a lack of faith in God. Worry has nothing good to produce.
Enlist as a soldier: The Apostle Paul calls Christians soldiers of Jesus Christ. Many Christians nowadays do not see themselves as one nor carry the mentality of a soldier. Soldiers live regimented, disciplined and regulated lives. They enforce the peace and guard the sovereignty of their nations. For there to be rest some battles will be fought. Solomon enjoyed peace in his time because David his father and predecessor fought many battles ahead of him defeating their enemies. After 9/11 America took the battle to the territories of the perpetrators and collaborators of 9/11. That has resulted to less terrorists’ attacks on the soil of the USA. We are enjoined to disentangle ourselves from civilian matters and strive to please our commanding officer who is Jesus Christ our Lord (2 Timothy 2:3-4). To enjoy divine rest, we must win the battles that daily confront us in our minds.
Stillness: The Bible enjoins us to be still and acknowledge God as God (Psalm 46:10). We are to be equipped and rest in the knowledge of who our God is. We are also supposed to be equipped and rest in the knowledge of who we are in Christ Jesus and how much God values and loves His children. A firm knowledge of this will produce in us a firm assurance that will make us less worrisome and unperturbed. It is true that we handicap the hand of God when we worry and are full of doubts (James 1:6-8), and the reverse is true when we choose to be still and rest in God. Apostle Peter was still and fast asleep in the face of imminent danger when he was about to be killed by King Herod, and God supernatural delivered him. When we are restful in God He acts on our behalf.
Think Scriptures: To truly enjoy divine rest, meditating on the scriptures is a must. The Word of God can rest our souls and minds. Traveling to my home country could be dangerous because of the spate of violence, crime, killings and kidnappings going on there. A recent analysis of the World Economic Forum (WEF) listed my home country as one of the most dangerous countries in the world. It became imperative for me to meditate on Psalm 91 day and night every time I have to travel there. And this exercise always produces inner peace, assurance of God’s protection and calmness in me. Faith in God is not wishful thinking it is Word thinking. We are commanded by God to meditate on the Word every day and night (Joshua 1:8).
CONCLUSION: The Holy Spirt who is the Prince of Peace and often symbolized as a dove, a bird that depicts peace and rest dwells within us. We are to safely rest in the arms of the Almighty like a baby will rest in the arms of his/her mother without a care nor bother. We have the assurance of the scriptures that our challenges will not overwhelm us because our Father is too faithful to fail.
Have a Restful month in Jesus’ name.
