Resting not Stressing

Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you. Psalms 116:7 NIV

If you have ever felt your heart racing out of fear or even out of nowhere, it’s a scary experience. I had that very thing happen to me in the middle of the night and called 911. While there really was no explanation other than that I may have experienced a panic attack, I knew that my heart beat was way too fast and I needed help. I was able to get back to my resting heart rate and, thank God, haven’t had that kind of frightening experience since.

Circumstances in life can cause us to be anything but at rest. We might receive some terrible news, go through heartache, hurt, disappointment, or pain. While the heart rate may go up, we can all tell when our soul is in distress. There are feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, fear, and despair. If I know anything from reading the bible, it is how many times God tells us to not fear, to not worry, and to trust and have faith in Him. I find this verse in the Psalms to be interesting in that it states to “return” to your rest. Our default disposition should be one of resting, not stressing. Why? Because God has been, is, and always will be good! “For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” Psalm 100:5

We will not be without problems while on earth. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 I think the phrases such as “take heart” and “do not fear” are in the bible so much because we do need to be reminded to return to our rest, remembering all the times God has proven faithful in our lives. When your soul is not at ease, remember how God wants you to lean on who He is…faithful, loving, and wanting you to be at peace despite the problems, to be confident and calm because of who our Creator is regardless of our circumstances. Our souls were meant for the serenity found only in our Savior.