Even before life went online, resting from technology was becoming more and more of a challenge today’s digital world. Now you may find yourself working 24/7, trying to both occupy and entertain your kids when you can’t even leave the house! Whether you are a crazy-busy parent or a sheltering senior who can seem to disconnect from the fear-mongers who present our news daily, mydesire is for you soul to take a rest, so here is a detailed scriptural study of what it means to you. First let’s look at a working definition of the word as a starting point.
The Encarta dictionary defines rest as: (noun) state or period of refreshing freedom from exertion or a rhythmic pause between musical notes. (Verb) to be in a state of tranquility or to cease activity. In Scripture there are several words used in the Old Testament for rest.
In Psalm 116:7 we read, “Return to your rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.” In order to gain the full impact of what David is saying, we should start at the beginning of that chapter.
In Psalm 116:1-9 David writes, “’I love the Lord, because He hears my voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to hear me, therefore I shall call upon Him for as long as I live. The cords of death encompassed me, and the terrors of Sheol came upon me; I found distress and sorrow. Then I called upon the name of the Lord; ‘O, Lord, I beseech Thee, save my life!’ Gracious is the Lord and righteous; Yes, our God is compassionate. The Lord preserves the simple; I was brought low and He saved me.”
After all this David extols, “Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you. For your, O Lord, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before the Lord in the land of the living,” NIV.
The word for rest in this verse is the Hebrew word mnuwchah, pronounced men-oo-khaw`. I always hate to see a word written, especially in another language, without a hint of how to pronounce it. Pronunciation turned out to be important to me as a southern transplant to a California college. My new-found friends continually encouraged me constantly, “You’ve gotta talk faster if you expect anyone here to listen.” They were right. For me at the time, “no” was a three-syllable word. But I digress. (Now my friends say that my spiritual gift is making a short story long!)
Back to mnuwchah. The word in the Hebrew is what we think of when we read the Encarta definition for rest. It means to repose peacefully, to be comfortable, at ease, quiet or still. Because of God’s complete care, we can relax and rest regardless of our circumstances. That flies in the face of the activity addiction of the age we live in.
Sitting quietly in the Lord’s presence is a discipline we can learn. We won’t find the deep peace that God provides rushing through our days. As we turn down the noise in our minds and press into His presence, we will find peace in the midst of pain, calm even in chaos, and triumph over any trial. I will share more about what the Word teaches us about resting in future posts. If you want an in depth study of how to rest in God, this is for you