Psalm 62:1 My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.
God alone is my rest and my salvation. I can find those in no other place for a sustainable period. Several thoughts come to mind when I read this short but powerful verse.
First, it is my soul that finds rest and salvation. I have had periods of rest in my life that felt great and refreshing. However, even in those times, my soul would seem restless. It is in these times that I realize that my seeking rest in other places besides God; my soul gains no strength. The soul is God’s realm. It is where we connect with Him. It is through the soul that the language of His Holy Spirit speaks. Rest and direction for my soul is in God alone.
Second, fundamentally, I am truly here to please only one person…God. I catch myself living life as a pleaser. I allow my emotional state of being to be affected by the happiness of others. Don’t get me wrong, it is good to have concern for others and where they are in life. It is good to “be there” for a friend in times of need. But for me to live day in and day out worried about whether or not the people in my life are happy, I really drain my life and soul of their energy. When I am so concerned for their state of being, who am I really serving? Most of the time, it is me. I am really just easing my discomfort by helping them “be happy”. A person’s overall happiness does not depend on me, it depends on God. I am here to please God alone.
Third, I can find my true happiness in only one person…God. Like so many in our current culture, I have chased my happiness in so many worldly things. I have chased money, relationships, social acceptance, co-dependency, activities, work, recreation, etc., in the pursuit of happiness. This one area is particularly hard for me as well. I cannot see God. I do not hear his audible voice. At least not in the way I do in the flesh like people around me. I have experiences with God, but do not get to touch or talk with Him the way I would with others. Fortunately, when I slow down and quiet my life, I see in days to follow God working in my life. He gives me rest for my soul. My true happiness and peace and rest are in God alone.
To be reminded of God’s rest and salvation I must spend time resting in Him. I must set aside silent times of just being. I also must continue to read and apply His Word. Notice the addition to that last statement of the word “apply”. I believe that so many Christians gain a bad reputation simply by not living what they believe. When I combine silence in God with study, application and prayer and I find rest in God. Now, I did not say that I “earn” rest. And I don’t want my methods to become a formula for resting in God. I do recognize however, that when I do the above mentioned things, I find that my soul has peace. Hopefully yours will as well.
Questions/challenges:
1. List some of the ways you have tried to find rest for your soul.
2. Explain at what point you realized that those methods were not filling the need for rest.
3. What are some ways you find rest in God?
4. Spend some time in silence this week and lay before God this verse. Meditate on it several times throughout the week. See what comes up for you.
---------------------------------------
Don't forget to visit my Amazon links. General purchases: Click on the Banner at the top of the blog. For a list of my favorites go to: http://astore.amazon.com/weekldevottho-20
No comments:
Post a Comment