His Rest!

And he said, 

My presence shall go with thee, 

and I will give thee rest. 

~Exodus 22:13~

Moses was not alone in questioning where the Lord was leading him. He was chosen for the overwhelming task of leading thousands of Israelites into the Promised Land, and sometimes God did not choose to make the path way explicitly clear--and then, Moses would plead with Him for direction. The verse preceding verse 13 says this: Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, and I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people. Moses truly desired to know God--he also realized the impossibility of leading thousands of people without God's aid. And in the midst of Moses' query and confusion, God alleviates his fears, promising that His presence will go with Moses, and He would give him rest. 

In today's fast-paced society, we often forget to just "Be still, and know that I am God". (Psalm 46:10) His rest is set-apart from everyday activities. Jesus took the disciples aside from the crowd to rest with Him. (Mark 6:31) God gave us a natural means of rest by giving us one whole day of the week. God knew that or physical bodies and mental capacities would need a means of refreshment after six days of work. 

Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)

Just because we come to Christ doesn't mean that we won't have any more work, but that He will give us the strength and refreshment to carry on for His kingdom with even more fortitude than before. Also His "burden" will be lighter than any we would choose or place on ourselves, because He knows exactly how much we can handle and exactly how much we need. Just like Moses' often sought God in the midst of confusion, so our foresight will be cleared when take God's "burden" and receive His rest, instead of struggling under our own imposed load. 

Because God is the ultimate source of our rest, we will be at peace when we claim His hope. We have hope because...

"I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope." (Psalm 16:8-9) 

Because God is always with us, because He is our protector, because He is the one in control of our circumstances, we can be glad, and rejoice, and rest. And also rest because we are possessors of His hope.

"For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him." (Psalm 62:5)

"Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost." (Romans 15:13)

He is our hope, and He is our rest. Rest in His hope, for only then will you know the "peace that passes all understanding". (Philippians 4:7) Rest not only gives us a break physically and mentally, but it also provides us with the vigor and stamina to go on and do greater things for God. We need to learn to seek rest, so that we can more thoroughly fulfill the will of God. 

For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, "In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength." (Isaiah 30:15)

"Prepare me always for what Thy providence shall bring forth. Let me never murmur, be dejected, or impatient, under any of the troubles of this life; but ever find rest and comfort in this, this is the the will of my Father, and of my God: this is for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen." (Thomas Wilson)

Be still my soul; the Lord is on thy side;

Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;

Leave to thy God to order and provide;

In every change He faithful will remain.

Be still, my soul; thy best, they heavenly Friend

Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still my soul; the hour is hastening on

when we shall be forever with the Lord,

When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,

Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.

Be still, my soul; when change and tears are past,

all safe and blessed we shall meet at last. 

Be Still, My Soul

In Christ,

Kaleigh