Finding Rest

“We sought him and he gave us rest…” – 2 Chronicles 14.7, CSB

Rest. Are we any good at it? Do we actually want rest, or are we too addicted to busy? It appears that the pace of life has accelerated relentlessly and continues to do so, with no signs of slowing down in sight. We’ve become accustomed to constant updates and notifications to help us stay informed and respond to any message that comes our way promptly. Waiting is no longer acceptable. So we keep going and going, trying to keep multiple plates spinning without letting one fall to the ground. But at some point, a plate will fall.

Don’t get me wrong. I do believe that there are times when being busy is necessary. Multiple things vying for your time that all need to be dealt with. I wonder, though, if we would do better by prioritizing rest more than busy. That maybe busy doesn’t have to be the norm but rather the exception to the rule. We add numerous events and appointments to our calendars, but do we also schedule times for rest? Or are we too busy for that? There is beauty and joy that comes with knowing that our identity is not marked or defined by what we accomplish. When we can understand that until we base who we are on whose we are alone, we will never find rest. You see, rest is not found in simply not doing things. It’s found in the person of Jesus. We can find rest in the midst of busy times and stormy seasons because our rest is found in seeking him. 

King David, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote, “I am at rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him” (Psalm 62.1, CSB). He also wrote this in Psalm 23, “The LORD is my shepherd; I have what I need. He lets me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters. He renews my life; he leads me along the right paths for his name’s sake” (Psalm 23.1-3, CSB). Reading through what the Lord does as our shepherd in Psalm 23 brings a profound sense of peace and rest. And Jesus gave this beautiful invitation, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11.28-29, CSB).

In 2 Chronicles 14.7, King Asa spoke to the people of Judah. Within that speech, he said, “We sought him and he gave us rest.” The word “sought” needs to be looked at. While it does mean seeking something, it also implies a formal relationship, where one seeks to join in a relationship as an extension of seeking the presence of a person, thereby relating to them in some way.* In other words, to seek the Lord is not simply to seek more information about him, but instead to seek deeper intimacy with him. Finding rest for our souls is not found in knowing more about Jesus but in knowing Jesus more. And as we seek deeper intimacy with Jesus, he will slow us down, making us lie down in green pastures and leading us beside quiet waters because he is the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep (John 10.11). But he will also give us rest for our souls in the storms that we go through and the seasons of busy that try to crush us.

So, let’s seek the Lord. Let’s long for deeper intimacy with him. Let’s strive to slow down our pace of life so that we can truly live rather than simply survive. But at all times and in every season of life, whether slow or fast-paced, whether during seasons of plenty or scarcity, let us find our rest in the Lord. As Augustine once said, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.”

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* Swanson, James. Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament), Electronic ed., Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997.