Rest on Every Side
I am writing today more than a little exhausted. We arrived home two days ago after being away from home for the better part of three weeks. That day I had gotten three girls on an airplane, managed to not lose any of them for a couple of hours in our second of three airports, onto a second airplane, onto a shuttle and finally into our car. We arrived home and in the midst of unpacking multiple suitcases my eight-year-old daughter started to freak out. “There are bugs on me! They’re so itchy!” I was expecting to find her being dramatic, but she was reacting reasonably. She was covered in fleas. Soon, all four of us began noticing tiny black bugs hopping on our feet. Someone came to do a few things in our home while we were gone and found out later that the dog they had brought with them had fleas. I have spent the last 48 hours on the phone with pest control, searching for flea carpet spray, using said spray multiple times, and doing over ten loads of laundry. And tomorrow? That eight year old turns nine, so there is a cake to bake, presents to wrap, decorations to display, and a party to host. All of this on my own, no spouse to share the load. I am tired, I am weary, I am overwhelmed. I am not alone.
Rest is a common topic in the Bible. I have been thinking about it a lot lately, even before this weekend, as I read through Israel’s journey to becoming a nation and then its subsequent years as a kingdom. Over and over again the Biblical authors talk about Israel having rest on all sides. The Hebrew word used in many of these instances is ”nûah,” and is simply translated as “rest.” Nûah is used in the Old Testament at least eight times as a promise and at least ten times as a fulfillment of that promise. It is used in the giving of the ten commandments in Exodus to describe what God did on the seventh day of creation and in Deuteronomy’s account of the commandments to explain that by the Israelites resting on Sabbath, their slaves “may rest as you do.” In Deuteronomy and Joshua the Lord promises to give Israel rest. Then, in the historical books of the kings, God promises to give Israel rest from their enemies through leaders like David and Solomon. As we continue through Israel’s story we see the fulfillment of God’s promised rest as the reigns of Asa and Jehosaphat are described as “the LORD gave them rest on every side.”
Here is what really gets me about how God fulfilled this promise. During the reign of King Asa, the rest was preceded by “They had sought [the LORD] with all their heart, and he was found by them” (2 Chronicles 15:15). The rest happened after they sought after God and the rest happened because they found God. When we seek the Lord, we will find him. And it is his presence that gives us rest. His presence means we are not alone. His presence means the one who holds the world in the palm of his hand is right there in our exhaustion with us and he holds whatever is burdening us in his hand. His presence means the one who holds our destinies in his heart and works all things together for our good is working even in our weariness. This is our God and he makes himself available to be found and to be present, especially when we are tired.
Judah experienced rest during Jehosaphat’s reign because “the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel” and all the other kingdoms were terrified of God. Whatever is making you tired, dear friend, is not yours to fight. It is not yours to figure out, to accomplish, to control, to remove. The Lord fights for you. Be it sin or sickness or brokenness or busyness, God is not a soldier in the trenches with you. He is on the frontline, wielding his weapons without any need for you at all. Your problem may not go away, but you can rest because the battle is not yours. It’s the Lord your God’s. Rest in him.
This is exactly what Jesus tells us to do and, like the Lord promised Israel, Jesus promises us rest. Matthew 11:28-29 says “Come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” This weekend I needed physical rest, yes, but even more, I needed rest for my weary soul. My body was tired, but my soul was the one crying out. It was asking God “How can I do this all by myself? Why have you given me so much all at once? Can I handle this? What does it say about me if I can’t? Why isn’t my husband here to help me?” And, perhaps the deepest questions: “Am I alone? Are you even here, God?” God gives me an answer. He gives you an answer on your most weary days. He is right here, right now. He just wants me to seek him, he just wants me to come. When I come, he takes the heavy burdens of my soul and trades them for his yoke, which is easy and light. Once again, Scripture tells us that we find true and lasting rest in one place: the presence of our Lord.
Did you catch the totality of rest given to Judah? Rest from all sides. That is what God promised Israel and what they experienced at times during their nationhood. It’s also what he promises us. It is kind of hard to imagine. Rest from the outside: Rest from the burdens of the world, from the work that calls to us every day. From the pain, the loss, the suffering. From the expectations and the performance. From peer pressure and comparison. From the news cycles and the unexpected phone calls. From the bills and the lost jobs.
Rest from the inside: From disease and organ failure. From the need to achieve and the need to prove. From anxiety and depression. From disappointment and heartache. From uncertainty and fear. From the too much and the not enough.
Rest is not a hope or a possibility. It is a promise and it is promised to me and to you. And if there is one thing the Bible teaches us about our God is that he is a promise-keeper. He is faithful and cannot be anything less. A fullness of rest is coming one day in a heaven where tears, pain, sadness, and tiredness will not exist. Our bodies will not groan, our hearts will not break. And now, here on earth, we find rest for our souls. Rest knowing nothing can separate us from the love of God. Rest knowing every one of our days is planned by a God who understands and loves us dearly. Rest knowing the sovereign creator of the universe is in control of every breath we take. Rest knowing there is no place we could go, burden we could face, or level of exhaustion we could experience too far for God’s presence to reach. He is with you, friend. Come, seek, find, and rest.
Your Sister,