Experiencing God’s Rest in Hard Times
Photo by Andrew Neel
Experiencing God’s rest can change our lives. Amazingly, His rest isn’t something we have to fight to find. Nor is it a religious thing we’re “required” to do—one more thing to worry about.
Instead, this is how Jesus describes God’s rest:
Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matt. 11:28–30 NASB)
And here are just a FEW things it means:
The rest of God is gentle (v. 29).
His rest is easy (v. 30).
We can find it when we’re weary (v. 28).
We can find it when we’re at the end of our rope and don’t know what to do (v. 28).
If you’re weary, worn out, tired, exhausted, afraid, lonely, hurting, overwhelmed, confused, lost, angry, annoyed, bitter, upset—whatever you’re feeling today, that’s His invitation to you. “Come to Me, and I will give you rest.”
God’s Heart for YOU Right Now
Read the following verses with an open heart. You may want to turn them into declarations and speak them over your life, your household, or even your nation. The Word of God is bigger than we expect it to be, and it applies in more places and to more situations.
The Lord Is Your Refuge
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.” (Ps. 91:1–2 NIV)
What does it mean for the Lord to be your refuge? Pray about the following ideas:
When the Lord is your refuge, He’s your safe place where nothing can get you.
A refuge is a place of rest.
The Lord is rest from your enemies and all your fears.
You get to dwell in His shelter, in His very shadow.
“The Lord is my refuge” is where you get to live every day of your life.
The Lord Is Your Strength
God is our refuge and strength,
always ready to help in times of trouble. (Ps. 46:1 NLT)
What does it mean for the Lord to be your strength? Pray about the following ideas:
When the Lord is your strength, it’s all right for you to have weaknesses. It’s okay if you aren’t perfect, because you’re relying on Him to help you.
You don’t ever have to be ashamed of your weak places, where you’re still learning about God and how life works.
When you’re weak, you’re actually strong (2 Cor. 12:9–10).
You can boast about your weaknesses because you know what they are—places where you get to trust the Lord.
The Lord Wants to Carry All Your Burdens
Pile your troubles on God’s shoulders—
he’ll carry your load, he’ll help you out. (Ps. 55:22 MSG)
What does it mean for the Lord to be the One who carries your burdens? Pray about the following ideas:
When you give all your burdens or cares to the Lord, those burdens and cares are no longer dependent on you (on your strength and who you are as an individual). You don’t have to solve them on your own.
You get to pour your concerns into the Lord’s hands and let Him carry them for you.
Your troubles can become points of evangelism that loudly declare, “This is who God is! This is what He’s like! Do you see? Isn’t He good?!”
The weak places and all the burdens are windows where people can peer in and see Jesus.
Before you go!
Ask the Lord to speak to you about these three ideas:
That He is your refuge
That He is your strength
That He’s the One who carries your burdens
Journal what He says or shows to you, and try to reread these notes several times over the next few days. You might be amazed at what He says. God’s rest is your true home.
Interested in more? Check out some of our other articles and declarations:
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