REST EASY

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

Psalm 91:1

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Just in one week, the following issues were in play for people I was acquainted with:

One woman lost her mother. Another lost her husband.

A woman was investigated for child neglect after she left two children in the car long enough to run her son into preschool.

A couple was dealing with financial situations that were impacting their Christmas.

A man struggled with matters of visitation with his ex-wife after divorce.

I’ll stop here but you get the point. In any one day and certainly in any given week, there are scores of people dealing with a lot of issues. Life has a way of bringing us difficulty and that difficulty is no respecter of who it impacts or when it comes. There really is never a good time for it if you get right down to it.

So where can we turn when life turns up the heat and begins to roast us over the fires of trouble?

The only legitimate place is to the Lord Most High.

Why?

Well, the opening verse of the 91st Psalm gives us one very good reason. Here it is:

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

When life brings us dilemmas which often draw us into stress and worry and fear and anxiety, we should simply seek refuge in the shelter of the Lord. He is our Protector, our Redeemer, and our very present help in times of trouble. As we abide under His shelter, we find what we yearn for when tough times shake us at our very foundation. We find rest.

Indeed, the Lord and the Lord alone can bring us rest when the storms of tribulation swirl all around us. Recall the disciples of Jesus in the boat when the winds picked up and began to toss them about on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus was asleep and the disciples were so afraid over what was happening that they woke Him up and wondered if He would go on sleeping while they perished. Jesus angrily rebuked them for their lack of faith and with just wave of His hands, the seas calmed. Christ Jesus has the power to calm weather-related storms and He has equal power and ability to calm the storms of your life as well. You just need to trust Him in faith.

Philippians, Chapter 4, verses 6 and 7, explain a little further what’s to gain when we place our full trust in the Lord and allow Him to handle our problems. Paul wrote the following to the Philippians:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Don’t be anxious, don’t be afraid, don’t be stressed, and don’t be worried. Lay your burdens down at the foot of the Lord’s throne and then have faith to know He has it under control. You don’t have the strength to handle life’s issues on your own but when you truly allow the Lord to put His restoring power on full display, then you, like Paul, can say boldly, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

And did I say that Paul was in prison for sharing the gospel when he wrote these words in Philippians? Now THAT’s hardship!

So what are we to draw from this today?

Trust the Lord with your troubles and seek His shelter, rest, and peace, a peace that transcends all understanding. And with the assurance that the Lord keeps all His promises, we can boldly expect that our hearts and minds will be guarded and protected by Christ Jesus, as He works out our matters to His glory in accordance with His perfect will.

Friends, it’s time we rest easy. God is Emmanuel, or God with us, and He has been, is still, and will always be in control. Abide in His shelter and live in peace, no matter what life brings.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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