April 22

Finding Rest for your Soul

Psalm 62:1-2 My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

I believe this longing for “rest” goes to the very heart of human existence. Our culture is on a desperate search for this illusive “rest.” Billy Graham in his very first book, "Peace with God" 1953, said it his way:

“You started on the great quest the moment you were born, It was many years perhaps before you realized it, before it became apparent that you were constantly searching ‑ searching for something you never had ‑ searching for something that was more important than anything in life. Sometimes you have tried to forget about it. Sometimes you have attempted to lose yourself in other things so there could be time and thought for nothing but the business at hand. Sometimes you may even have felt that you were freed from the need to go on seeking this nameless thing. At moments you have almost been able to dismiss the quest completely. But always you have been caught up on it again ‑ always you have had to come back to your search.

At the loneliest moments in your life you have looked at other men and women and wondered if they too were seeking ‑ seeking something they couldn't describe but knew they wanted and needed. Some of them seemed to be much happier and less burdened than you. Some of them seemed to have found fulfillment in marriage and family living. Others went off to achieve fame and wealth in other parts of the world. Still others stayed at home and prospered, and looking at them you may have thought: ‘These people are not on the Great Quest. These people have found their way. They knew what they wanted and have been able to grasp it. It is only I who travel this path that leads to nowhere. It is only I who go asking, seeking, stumbling along this dark and despairing road that has no guideposts.’

But you are not alone. All mankind is traveling with you, for all mankind is on this same quest. All humanity is seeking the answer to the confusion, the moral sickness, the spiritual emptiness that oppresses the world. All mankind is crying out for guidance, for comfort, for peace.”

There is only one solution to the quest for rest. That solution is found in a relationship with Jesus. If you are restless today, have the courage to enter into a relationship with Jesus. Invite Jesus to come live in your heart and walk with you each step of today’s journey. Only he can bring you the rest your heart longs for.

Matthew 11:28-30 "Come to ME, all who are weary and heavy-laden, 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."