I realized this morning that the great words of advice I gave last week – about alleviating anxiety – left us all in a lurch. I was worried about flying, and knew I needed to calm down. I suggested releasing our anxieties to Jesus and resting in Him. Sounds like a good plan, right?
When the plane was taking off (and I was anxious) I began to wonder: What does it mean to rest in Jesus? And, HOW are we supposed to do that?
Let’s flesh this out today, dig a little deeper, and see what God’s word says about rest.
“The LORD had given him rest on every side from all his enemies,…” 2 Samuel 7:1b NASB
“I will give you rest from all your enemies…” 2 Samuel 7:11b NASB
In 2 Samuel 7, we find David at home. Saul has died. David no longer has to run in fear of his life. There are no impending battles with the enemies of Israel. God has given David rest from his enemies. The original Hebrew word for rest is munnāḥ, which means to settle down, to pause, to be free of conflict.
[tweetthis]To rest in Jesus is to pause and settle down with Him.[/tweetthis]
For me, it also means to ask Him what it is that is causing conflict in my soul. I thought it was flying. I’m not the best air traveler. I don’t love being miles and miles (and miles!) above the earth in a silver metal tube that can suddenly drop to the earth with no warning. Can I get an amen?
Digging deeper, Holy Spirit nudged me and helped me realize that my conflict was not my fear of flying. I just plain didn’t want to leave my home and my hubby. I am quite the homebody since retirement. My home is my happy and safe place; I am content here. The conflict was not wanting to leave. By pausing to rest with Jesus, I realized it wasn’t about flying, or missing flights or falling ill on the trip; it was about me getting out of my comfort zone.
What is causing you conflict and making you anxious? Take it to Jesus. Rest in Him.
How? Let’s look in Matthew to find out:
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 NASB
Jesus tells us to come to Him and HE will give us rest. The original Greek word here is anapaúsō. It means to give rest, quiet and refresh; to cause someone to take a break from their activities in order to be refreshed.
Jesus Himself refreshes us. We need only stop our activities and spend time with Him, in His Word and in prayer.
Stop right now and rest in Jesus. Stop the conflicts in your heart, mind and life; stop your busyness. Lean in to Him. You’ll be rested, I guarantee!
Grace be with you,
Love this, Ellen. So often what we think is the issue, is not the issue. You settled down and looked for truth. Good stuff.
Thanks my friend! And what blessings I received by going: I got to spend time with you!