Rest for Your Soul
Even in sorrow there are pathways towards light. There are foot paths that lead to rest, to quiet comfort and to the everlasting fountain of hope. These pathways are called truth. They are always there but not always in use. I don’t know what it is, but grief seems to breed passivity. Perhaps it is the weariness of sorrow.
Reaching out for Rest
On my more difficult days, I have no desire to fight. No drive to ward off the enemy’s lies. No ambition “to take captive and bring into subjection” every thought and emotion. I am limp. The slave of my heart’s turbulent string of emotions. I let myself be carried along; blind to glimmers of light, I remain in darkness because it requires nothing. It is bleak but not demanding. The tragedy is that I can have the rest I crave, but I need not stoop to resting in darkness. Though it requires effort, there is a haven for me – for all those who are weary. There is rest for us, but we must follow the path carved out for us. The Savior cries out, “Come,” He stands at the pathways towards light calling the weary and bidding us, “Come… find rest for your souls” (Matt. 11:29).
Regret
We need not walk far, but we must veer from passivity. We must turn our souls out of the way of indifference and step towards the paths of truth. The truth we must step towards varies in different seasons and different sorrows. In times of regret, I must step towards the truth about God’s sovereignty and mercy. I might have to plant my foot down firmly on the truth that my Father is working all things in my past for my good and His glory (Rom. 8:28-29).
Loss
In times of aching loss I may have to turn to the truth about the future, the joys of heaven, and the certainty of restoration. I might carve myself a walking stick from the promise that He is making all things new (Rev. 21:5).
Envy
In times of envy – when I long for the beauty and wholeness I see in the lives of others — I must step towards the path of the truth about God’s wisdom and grace. Bowing my head beneath the low branches, I must commit myself to my Creator and to His plan for my life.
The paths are varied, yet all comprised of truth and leading to the place of perfect rest.
Finding This Perfect Rest
Time and time again, when I have shaken myself of apathy and made my way along the paths of truth, I have found myself breaking through sorrow into light and into glorious rest. There in the light of His presence there is peace, beauty, hope, and quietness, and there is a place for the weary, for the hurting and for broken by His side. There is a place to rest and to heal, but it is not found in darkness.
Do not settle too soon. Do not allow the weariness of sorrow to hold you beneath the shadow.
Arise, follow the paths of truth and rest in the light by His side.
If you are seeking support through prayer, please visit our Prayers for You page. We invite you to allow us to pray for you… for your heartache, for your family, for your future or whatever is pressing down on your soul today.