Skip to main content

My Soul Finds Rest in God Alone

                January can be tough.  It is cold and dark.  Christmas is over and, for some, the credit card bills are arriving.  We stay home more and socialize less.  It is easy to think, “I need a break!”
                In addition to that, regardless of the time of year, some people are just overloaded.   Unable or unwilling to say “no”, they end up taking on too many responsibilities and do not have enough time to themselves.  On the other hand, some are bored to death!  There is so little going on in their lives that they become detached and depressed.  Most of us find ourselves somewhere between those two extremes. 
                All of this leaves us chasing after answers which we hope will make our lives better and happier. That is good!  I am all for evaluating and making necessary changes. 
                However, before all of that, consider a truth that David understood.  His answer does not preclude making other changes, but it does come before all the rest of them.  This is not a theoretical idea.  Rather, it is born from David’s own, very real, experience with stress and trouble.   His answer is found in Psalm 62.
                “My soul finds rest in God alone” (verse 1a).  Note the word “alone”.  Temporary relief can be found in many places, but true peace is found only in God.
                “My salvation comes from him.  Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress; I will never be shaken” (verses 1b-2).  A fortress is only necessary if you are under attack.  David was and he outlines what that looks and feels like in the next few verses (3-4). 
                Then he reminds himself, “My soul finds rest in God alone!” (Verse 5).  His enemies are real and discouraging (verses 9-10), but he also realizes that they are “but a breath”.  Our troubles can look big, but in the long run, they do not last. 
                He ends by stating two things that he knows for sure: (a) God is strong and (b) God is loving (verses 11-12).  Those two facts change everything. 
                Struggles come, but, when we have the proper base, they do not have to defeat us.
                “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world!” (1 John 4:4)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Art of Noticing.... Seeing what we need to see and what we miss when we don't

 What we focus on in life matters. Here are some scriptural reminders that will help us see correctly.  https://youtu.be/Rn76tV0ZH8s    
Post a Comment
Read more

Consider This: What is so Great About Grace?

If you were to drive by our house, you would see that Sara loves plants.  Our yard is full of flowers, and Sara lovingly tends every one of them. Which is why I was so afraid when she left town and put me in charge of keeping things alive. She must have been a little concerned, too, because she sent me two videos with specific instructions on how to water, when to water, and what to do.  Honestly, those first two videos helped, but the third one she sent was the one I liked most.  In that one, she said, “Please do your best. I want the yard to look good for the family reunion in two weeks.  However, if something dies, we will dig it out and pretend that it never existed!” That is what grace looks like!  Try your best, do what you can, but if it goes wrong, it will be ok. Sometimes we talk as though grace and effort are opposites.  That is not true.  They are partners. In one place, scripture asks, “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone c...
Post a Comment
Read more

Consider This: Press The Button!

  Consider This:  Press the Button! My favourite TV game show is Jeopardy.  I used to like it even more when my kids were younger, because I could easily beat them and look smart.  These days, after they have grown up and gone to university, it is much more difficult.  However, Jeopardy is still the only game show I will watch. In a book I read, a contestant who did very well on the show shared the secret to his success.  He said (and I am paraphrasing here), “You must press the button before you know the answer.  Everyone on Jeopardy is smart. Everyone knows the answer. The key to winning is to act.  You must jump in and press the button, assuming that your brain will catch up and supply the answer.  If you wait until you are sure, you will be too late!” Press the button! Too often, we hesitate, not because we do not know what to do, but because we do not want to do it.  Sometimes, we fail to act because we are not sure how the situatio...
Post a Comment
Read more