Message Library

Rest for Your Soul

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“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, 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.”

Matthew 11:28-30

Only God can give rest to our souls, and when our souls are at rest, our body is relaxed.  There is no rest from the world that compares with the rest for our souls from God. I spent 59 years of my life seeking rest from the world. I was successful in the world’s view but never found true rest. It was only when I became a servant to the Lord that I found divine rest for my soul.

Our rest comes from knowing the Lord in a loving relationship.  And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:6 ESV) We are servants of Christ which gives us strong faith that leads us to depend on the Lord.  Christ is our master and we fully trust him to guide us and answer our prayers his way and on his timing. Our faith is now pleasing to God and whenever we serve the Lord we can feel his pleasure through the Spirit into our soul, bringing us great rest, peace, and comfort.

The indwelling Holy Spirit brings love, peace, joy, and our connection to Christ.  If our thoughts are toward the Spirit, communion with God, and seeking the Lord’s guidance, our soul can be closer to the Lord than it is to the world. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.  (Philippians 1:23 NKJV) Paul was extremely close to the Lord through the Spirit, so close that he was ready to leave this world and be with Christ. When we are this close to the Lord, our soul is at rest and we desire to be with Christ.

Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. (James 4:14) No one is guaranteed tomorrow and the older we become the more we realize that life is short.  Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9) Many people in the world are fearful today because they are uncertain about the future and there is no rest when Satan places fear in our hearts.  Christians know the future from the Word, and we overcome fear because we walk with the Lord through life into Heaven.

How can we have rest for our souls when we have fear from Satan in our hearts? There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. (1 John 4:18) The more of God’s love we have in our hearts, the closer we are to the Lord.  Fear decreases from our hearts because the Lord takes away fear from Satan. The closer we are to Christ, the less fear we have.

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. (Matthew 10:28) Christ overcame death for us and we see physical death as the door to Heaven. We have no fear of death because we know we step out of this temporary life into Heaven with a new, young, perfect body that lasts forever living in Heaven with the Father and the Son. Overcoming the fear of physical death brings great comfort and we know the Lord will give us his strength to endure life to our last breath.

Today, seek to be close to the Lord, through prayer and through being his servant. We have rest to our souls when we are close to the Lord. Seek to be close to the Lord and He will fill your heart with love, peace, joy, and divine rest.

Prayer:  Lord, fill my heart with your love as I serve you and reap your love, peace, joy, and rest. Thank you for your love and pleasure when I serve you with a heart of love.  In Jesus’ name, Amen