Each week when I write these articles, I want to make sure that these aren’t my thoughts, but God’s truth. There are times, when I have no doubt what God wants me to write about as there will be the same theme coming up in my devotions, Bible readings, while speaking to others and even popping up in my email. This is one of those times. However, at first, I thought that God was speaking a message to me personally. And He was being very loud as this topic was coming up everywhere, even in a prayer meeting. But then, I realized that this is not just for me as this topic was showing up for more than a few days. So, what is this important message that God is speaking at this time? Rest! It is quite simple but can be quite hard to do in this busy chaotic world, where people feel that doing a lot of activities is better than being at rest and resting in God. I really like how the Berean Standard Bible expresses how David felt when everything seemed to be going against him.
In God alone my soul finds rest; my salvation comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation. He is my fortress; I will never be shaken. How long will you threaten a man? Will all of you throw him down like a leaning wall or a tottering fence? They fully intend to cast him down from his lofty perch; they delight in lies; with their mouths they bless, but inwardly they curse. Rest in God alone, O my soul, for my hope comes from Him. Psalm 62:1-5
In this Psalm, David is intentional in telling his soul to rest in God alone, when everything around him was uncertain and was being shaken, but He knew that in God, he had the assurance that he would never be shaken. Habakkuk said he would rest in the day of trouble, when God would bring a country to invade his people causing great calamity. That doesn’t seem like a time you can rest, but this prophet knew that it was God who was bringing destruction to his country as punishment for its rebellion, so he could rest knowing that God’s will was being done. David and Habakkuk could rest when life brought great difficulties.
The New American Standard version says in Psalm 46:10, “Cease striving and know that I am God.” Sometimes we are so busy taking life into our own hands, consequently we strive to do things in our own strength forgetting that God is in charge, when we should be still and wait for His directions because He is sovereign over all. We might get restless when things aren’t going our way and then end up making a bad decision like Elimelech in the book of Ruth. This was in the time of the judges when each person did what was right in their own eyes. Facing famine, he thought he was doing a good thing moving his wife and two sons to a Gentile country where they worshiped other gods from Bethlehem, which is ironically called the house of bread. He ended up dead and his two sons who got married to women from that land also died. They left behind three widows. After all this hurt, Naomi, his widow, heard that the Lord had visited His people in Bethlehem by giving them bread. The house of bread had bread again and Naomi made the decision to return to her home where she had left pleasant but was returning bitter. Her two daughters-in-law were ready to return with her, but she didn’t want them to go as she was concerned for their wellbeing.
And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each to her mother’s house. The Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. The Lord grant that you may find rest, each in the house of her husband.” Ruth 1:8-9 NKJV
Irony weaves its way through the Book of Ruth. Naomi was hoping God would grant them rest in a place that did not know Him, and where the people served other gods. How could they have rest without the one true God? She should have looked more closely at her own life recognizing that she had no rest in her husband’s house after he was restive and moved out of God’s will into a land which God continually instructed the Israelites not to intermarry with its people or embrace their customs because of their idolatry and sexual immorality. Naomi had lost everything because her husband did not wait to hear God’s voice for His instructions but used his human wisdom and leaned on his own understanding, which caused dire consequences. Orpah returned to her people and her gods, but Ruth opted to follow Naomi and chose her people and her God. And later, Ruth found rest in her new husband’s home and left quite a legacy through her offspring and restoration also came to Naomi.
If you like Elimelech are feeling restless in your difficult situation, it is time to be still and remember all that the Lord has done and His greatness. You can trust Him and rest in Him, so you can speak to your soul and say:
Return to your rest, O my soul, For the LORD has dealt bountifully with you. Psalm 116:7 NKJV
تعليقات