This is what the Lord says: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be? Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?” declares the Lord.
“These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word. Isaiah 66:1-2
The Lord created everything in heaven and earth and brought order in a chaotic world. However, sin changed everything. Sin began a turmoil in people’s hearts, and relationships began to break down. Destruction and chaos became intertwined in God’s perfect plan of creation. Therefore, God’s resting place on the earth was lost due to the Fall.
In His model prayer, Jesus prayed that God’s Kingdom and His will would come to the earth. It is God’s desire to have a resting place on the earth. The Lord is not looking for a building, but He is desiring to rest on His people. He is seeking those who are humble and wholly dependent on His grace. God is looking for those who have given up controlling their circumstances, and instead, they have chosen to take God at His word!
There are many choices and voices around us. Sometimes, it is very difficult to discern what we are responsible for. We may have a tendency to take on issues that are not ours to fix, which cause great stress. In addition, there are areas in our lives that cannot be fixed by our continual intervention. Instead, we need to surrender them to the Lord and allow Him to change them in His timing.
This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says:
“In repentance and rest is your salvation,
in quietness and trust is your strength,
but you would have none of it. Isaiah 30:15
In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious. Isaiah 11:10
Long before Jesus came on the scene, God had ordained that the true rest will come when Jesus would redeem His people by dying on the Cross.The root of Jesse was a prophetic word about the coming Messiah. Through repentance, people give up their restlessness for the rest of God in their hearts. We are saved from our corruptible self and allow His rest to come upon us. God restored the order of creation through Jesus.
The enemy does not want us to rest, and our old nature fights rest as well. The old nature is addicted to doing to feel worthy and in control. If desire to experience the rest of God, we need to feed our new nature through trust and quietness. This allows the glory of God to rest on us and become visible in a fallen world. God’s children are the conduits of bringing God’s peace to the earth by making their temple (bodies) available for the Spirit of God.
The rest of God is the tranquility that one experiences in spite of circumstances. At one time, Jesus slept on the back of the boat. This was a picture of the rest of God in the midst of others’ anguish. The world is desperate to see peaceful men/women who are not affected or disturbed by their surroundings but allow God’s rest to take away the anguish in their hearts. Are you willing to be that resting place for the Spirit of God?
Lord, please help us to be at rest in the midst of uncertain and chaotic world. Calm our restlessness and anguish. Help us not to take on burdens that do not belong to us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
