Soul Rest

Monday, May 29, 2017

Soul Rest

Scripture:

Matthew 11:28-30

^“28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ 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. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Isaiah 55:1-3

“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.

Revelation 22:17

The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price

Isaiah 26:3 

You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.

Psalm 23

1 The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
² He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
³ He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

⁴ Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever.

Psalm 31:19-20

Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind! In the cover of your presence you hide them from the plots of men; you store them in your shelter from the strife of tongues.

Psalm 27:4

One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.

Devotional.

As I soak in the Word today and seek the Lord, I can’t help but overflow with gratitude. Matthew 11:28-30 is by far my favorite passage of scripture, followed by Psalm 27. My soul aches and longs to stay curled at the feet of Jesus and just hold on to Him at all times. I so often feel weary, burdened, and overwhelmed, but He promises rest. He promises perfect peace. He desires to shoulder my cares, my burdens.

There are a few things I am reflecting on today.

Monday, May 29 2017 is Memorial Day this year. It is also the 67^th anniversary of my father’s birth. He has been with the Lord now for 9 years. It is hard to believe that it is possible that he is gone. There has been a lot of healing in my soul in the past 9 years, and I am sad today to not have him on this earth but thankful for the freedom and healing I have found. I am in prayer for my sisters and brother, one sister in particular, as the wounds of childhood and challenges of losing our father at times surface with fresh pain around this time. I pray these promises for them and for myself, and ask God to refresh and restore today.

Today is also the day my husband will install deadbolts on the exits of our homes that only an adult can reach. As I mentioned in a few previous posts, our son has a tendency to run away. Saturday, he got out the front door by himself for a few minutes while my husband was upstairs and I was at an appointment. He snuck out without a word (as usual), and decided he wanted to play out front. A neighbor informed us.

Sigh.

These challenges would cripple me if I could not run to Jesus. I often wonder what people do who do not have Him to run to? I remember being lost, broken, caught in shame and broken and unable to overcome life’s circumstances. What a bereft place to live. Oh, thank You, Lord for the promises in Your Word that while we are not free from challenges and pain in life, we can run to You for rest and restoration!

What is the challenge you are facing today? What challenges do your child(ren) face?

Come to Him.

Sit at His feet.

Find pasture.

He is waiting in the stillness for you. Your soul will find rest!

Prayer:

Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Oh, Lord, I thank You today for this reminder of Your heart for me. You do not desire that I toil aimlessly and work myself to the bone in this life. You desire that I rest in You. Oh, thank You Lord.

God, it can be hard to take my eyes of my painful and challenging circumstances. You are the anchor of my hope, Lord. You are the One Who will provide the shelter, You are the One I need in these challenges.

I ask that You will draw my child(ren) into Your rest. Let them see You as the Answer to their hurts and challenges. Show me how to guide them in this.

I lift up (my area of need, my child(ren)’s areas of need) and ask for Your peace, rest and healing.

You are my God, and I seek You.

In Jesus’ Name I pray, amen.