How to Find Rest for Your Soul
“Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.” (Psalm 116:7, ESV)
No Rest for the Weary
There are so many times in our lives when we are not at rest. We are frantic, running around like crazy, and never at peace. We feel like we can never catch up.
Where do you think this comes from?
This passage from the Psalms tells us that our unrestfulness comes from not resting in the blessings of God.
Resting In God’s Blessing
The Psalmist can feel that he is not at rest. He feels the frantic, hurried, unrestful nature of his soul. He wants to find rest. So, he looks deep within himself and gives his soul a command: “Soul, find rest in God.”
Yet, how does he command his soul to find rest? What will allow his soul to find rest?
“Soul, find rest in God because God has given you many, many blessings.”
That’s how his soul will find rest. He must acknowledge and remember that God has continued to pour out blessing after blessing upon him. His frantic, hurried, and unrestful heart results from never being satisfied, never being content, always looking for more. So his soul is withering up and drying out.
Meditate Upon God’s Blessings
If he will ever find rest—true rest—he needs to spend time meditating upon the blessings that the Lord has given him. He needs to fight the temptation of unsatisfaction and discontent. He needs to fight it by recognizing the reality of God’s blessings in his life.
It is the reality of God’s blessings—not fictitious blessings—that bring rest. We’re not talking about thinking long and hard about things we don’t have in order to feel better about ourselves. We’re not talking about “the power of positive thinking.” You will never find rest in pretend, make-believe blessings. You will only find rest by meditating upon the actual blessings God has poured out on your life. And, trust me, there are many, many real blessings that God has poured out on you.
So, take time to do this. Take time to write out and meditate upon the blessings God has poured out in your life. Take time to be thorough, thinking of every teeny-tiny blessing from God. Then read that list and re-read that list until you experience rest.
It may not come right away, it may take some time, but it will come eventually. Rest will slowly sweep over you like a gentle wave.
An Advent Practice
I recognize that we just finished up the Thanksgiving season and beginning the Advent season. Yet, Thanksgiving prepares us perfectly for Advent.
Advent is a season focused on waiting for the coming of the Messiah. It is good for us to learn to be thankful as we wait. It is good for us to learn to rest in God’s blessings as we wait for his further blessings to come—as we wait for further deliverance.
So, I encourage you to continue the practice of giving thanks throughout the Advent season. Continue to read your list of God-given blessings each day until Christmas. Allow it to create an increased expectation and allow it to give your soul some rest in this holiday season.