Finding Rest in God

The battles raging in my life over the last few weeks seemed unending. It felt like the world around me was caving in. I remember driving home from work one night during that period and with tears dropping down from my eyes, I asked God, "Lord, where are you in all of this?" The battles were indeed having a toll on me as I felt emotionally drained and was barely keeping my head above the waters. To say the least, this was one of the lowest points I had ever encountered in my life.

I don't know what you may be going through in your life, and rightly so, I don't need to know. However, there's something about the God we serve that has kept me over the years I have walked with Christ. And that is, God is never late. He's always right on time.

In the Bible we read the account of Peter when he saw Jesus walking on the sea in the middle of the night and Peter asked Jesus that if it was him indeed, then he should bid him to come to him. We read below:

"25: And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. 26: And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. 27: But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. 28: And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. 29: And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. 30: But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me." (Matthew 14:25-30 KJV)

How often have we been in situations just as Peter encountered on the water, sinking and needing help, even in the very presence of Jesus Christ? In a previous post I pointed out that walking with Christ does not necessarily guarantee a life devoid of trials. However, being resolute in our faith even in the face of adversity is necessary if you can go past the hurdles and be victorious. You may be asking, where was my faith, despite the victories God had enabled me to experience in the past? My answer is this: just like Peter, my focus, for the most part of the period, was on the severity of the raging battles and not the BIGNESS of my GOD. And the very moment that happens, fear grips all your mental faculties and you begin to sink. Many of us Christians tend to focus so much on our problems instead of focusing on the greatness of the God whom we serve.

To the best of my knowledge, adversity is no respecter of persons. While every Christian faces adversity in different forms, it is important to understand that the sinfulness of man is the reason why adversity comes. But what a merciful God we serve. Let's read Numbers 21:7-9.

7: Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. 8: And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. 9: And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. (Numbers 21:7-9. KJV)

The main point from this scripture is that despite our sinful nature, which often brings upon us adversities of different forms, our God has made a provision for us to look up to Him when these trials strike. When we decide to battle our way out of the trials we face without allowing a central role for God, the consequences can be dire. In the case of the Israelites, those who failed to look up to the serpent of brass perished.

To be honest, in the midst of my battles, I could barely pray and found myself weeping every time I entered into the presence of God. It felt so difficult to even express myself before God. And if my tears meant anything at all it spoke volumes about my pain. I really don't know what strength it is that has enabled me to make it through each day until now. But one thing I know is that in the storm God has given me rest for my soul. Indeed, God spoke clearly from His word to me and after obeying His word to bring these burdens to Him my heart has known a peace that only He can give.

The scripture that came strongly to me in the midst of the battles was from Matthew 11:28-30:

28: Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29: Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30: For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Mat 11:28-30 KJV 

Dear friend reading this post, I don't care how big your problem is. One thing I know is that Jesus is able to give you rest for your soul. And God is bigger than any storm of life. Just offload your heavy burden to the cross and allow the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, to keep your head high in the midst of your battle.

Our God reigns indeed!

Stay blest!