Rest for Your Soul
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.
Matthew 11:29
We live in a world that can keep us busy with schedules in our work and in our daily lives. Do you find yourself sometimes overwhelmed in just getting through the day? How can God give rest for our souls when our life is overly busy? If Christ tells us that we will find rest for our souls, then let’s search the Word for our part in seeking this rest.
God wants rest for our souls through Christ, therefore this rest must come from him through the Holy Spirit. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23) I would describe rest for our soul is when we experience all the fruit of the Spirit through a very strong faith. This faith can be described by giving God control and seeing ourselves as his servants. We love the Lord more than anyone or anything meaning we are closer to the Lord than anything in the world. This brings us freedom in Christ which brings rest for our souls. We cannot have rest for our souls without being free in Christ because if we are not free in Christ we are still a slave to the world. It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1)
For the past three years I have been praying for rest for my soul, and today I am starting to experience this rest. If we study the book of Job we learn to trust the Lord no matter what happens in life. This is dependent on giving the Lord control and seeing our self as his servant. Giving the Lord control requires faith and leaving the results in his hands, as he guides us through the Spirit. Complete surrender to the Lord knowing his ways are always best, means our will is to do the Lord’s will, and when this happened we are in control. This is freedom because we now have control through Christ and we now have the power of God to overcome the world. Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. (1 John 5:8)
Rest for our souls is the way the Lord wants us to live. To trust him to guide us through every situation in life, rather than trying to control the situation, we let the Lord guide us through the situation with his wisdom and power and leave the results to him. We are no longer responsible for everything, but we are responsible to follow the Lord’s guidance. This is the freedom that pleases the Lord. Rest for our soul and the peace that transcends understanding is truly life to the full. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10)
Today seek the Lord’s guidance in every situation and leave the results to him. Know that the best results will occur when following the Lord’s guidance, using your skills and his wisdom. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. (Colossians 3:23-2)
Prayer: Lord, help me to experience rest for my soul. Increase my faith and teach me to surrender to your good, pleasing and perfect will. Remind me through the Spirit, to seek your guidance and help as I go through this day. In Jesus name, Amen