Do you need Rest?

Rest. It means to cease activity, take a break, take a nap...our definitions tend to be along those lines. I don't know about you, but I tend to swing from frenetic activity to "have-to-rest-or-I can't-continue" . When I am really busy and challenged, I sometimes feel guilty that I'm not resting enough- it is a command of God to rest one day a week after all - but how can I do that more? How can I rest when I am busy? So I was interested today when I saw a verse that mentioned rest in my Bible reading.

"Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory re joices;...." [who doesn't want more gladness and joy?]

..."my flesh also will REST IN HOPE." Wow.

Hope is the place of rest. When I have my hope right, I will have rest.

Okay, time for a Strongs Concordance definiton of hope:

betach, beh'-takh; from Hebrew 982 (batach); properly a place of refuge; abstract safety, both the fact (security) and the feeling (trust); often (adverb with or without preposition) safely :- assurance, boldly, (without) care (-less), confidence, hope, safe (-ly, -ty), secure, surely.

I just love the fact that hope here addresses not only the physical security that I have, but also the feeling of hope that I need for my wellbeing! The Amplified Bible says it this way,

"...my body too shall rest and confidently dwell in safety". THAT is what I'm talkin' about! I want to be a "confident dweller". To dwell confidently is to be in hope, is to be in a place of rest.

Psalm 16 continues in v.10-11, "For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures evermore."

Note that He will SHOW ME the path of life, but I am the one who chooses to walk in it. And it is such a good place to be in: a place where He is, where joy is, where pleasure is. THIS is the God that I hope in. This is He whom I can confidently dwell in, hope in, believe in, stay in. And in this, I find rest.

v.1, 8 "for in You I put my trust...I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved."

Natalie Grant sings a song about this:

I will stumble
I will fall down
but I will not be moved
I will make mistakes
I will face heartache
but I will not be moved
On Christ the solid rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
I will not be moved!

I have set the Lord always before me.
My flesh also will rest in hope.

I may still be busy, but I will hope and rest!