Rest for Our Souls

Without a doubt, we are experiencing times that are trying to men’s souls!

Heavy monsoon rains unleash floods and landslides across Nepal, India and Bangladesh last week, at about the same time that Hurricane Harvey unleashed its fury upon the city of Houston, burying it under tons of gallons of flood waters.

Before folks could draw breath, the 400-mile wide category 5 Hurricane Irma, following right on Harvey’s heels, roared and slashed its way through the Caribbean Leeward Islands in its path and is now making landfall in Southern U.S. States, as of this writing.

Even as Harvey and Irma continue to wreak havoc on people’s lives, we are receiving warnings about new weather patterns in formation that could repeat the same destructive path as these two.

Meanwhile, other news reports tell us that dozens of wildfires have flared up and are raging across the Pacific Northwest this week, blanketing the skies with opaque smoke from the Cascades to the coast and raining ash down on cars, streets and people.

As if this isn’t enough, people in Mexico had thousands of their homes and public buildings devastated by one of the strongest earthquakes felt there, and in Guatemala as well, in a century, measuring 8.1 on the Richter scale. There is also fear of a tsunami flooding backlash.

In all this, millions of people have been displaced, jobs and livelihoods obliterated, and hundreds have died.

Recent natural disasters aside, the western world has become a frequent target of terror attacks that kill and maim innocent people just going about their daily lives. Living with terrorists’ threats is now a normal part of life for many.

People are weary to the very core of ourselves!

The reporting of bad news over every type of media is relentless and many are admitting to a pervasive sadness brought about by the barrage of suffering we witness first hand. Seeing peoples’ homes and businesses destroyed by earthquake, Hurricane and fire, and entire islands in the Caribbean obliterated has affected many deeply.

Not so amazingly, we are experiencing a greater move towards GOD and the people of GOD now. Oh, there is the usual bitter murmuring of “Where is GOD?” but that question is decidedly dominated by the heartfelt cries, “We need JESUS!” and “Please pray!” 

People who never seemed to care that much about, think of or mention GOD before are seeking Him, both on their own as well as reaching out to those who know and serve Him. People are asking for miraculous interventions – acknowledging by their action that when we are as stressed out by life troubles, as so many are now, we can only get restoration from GOD.

 

It's time to tune out the noise and refocus our attention.

As human beings we are here to care for and support each other during times of difficulty. However, there are times when we are not enough for each other. When souls are as overwhelmed as they are now, human effort alone is insufficient to quell the anxiety, confusion, fear, helplessness, frustration, loss, grief and sorrow – and similar emotions that cause a leaden weariness deep down in our souls. We each are living with a quiet dread about the future, and the unknown – What next? Where next?

In these times only the One who gave life to the Universe can restore life to our souls – the Creator GOD who while the earth was formless and void said “Let there be” and there has been ever since. That for which we are all yearning for soul vitality is personal; we need individual, one-on-one intimacy with the Source of true life.  

The one thing sufficient to restore soul peace and quiet our inner turmoil is immersion in GOD’s WORD and the manifestation of life on the earth which –

Gave life from the beginning 1 John 1:1; Prov. 3:1; is full of the Spirit of life John 6:63; is His breath…. 2 Tim. 3:16-17; is living and divides soul and spirit…Heb. 4:12; is medicine for the whole body.. Prov. 4:20-22; lives forever Matt. 24:35; and became life and lived among us. John 1:14

Get alone with JESUS.

In John 16:6 JESUS tells His disciples that He is “the life” and Revelation 19:13 tells us that JESUS is the WORD of GOD. These divine natures are synonymous. JESUS is the original source of life described here – In the beginning was the WORD, and the WORD was with GOD, and the WORD was GOD…. In (JESUS/the WORD) was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. John 1:1-4

JESUS Himself issued a personal invitation to ALL who are weary and burdened to come to Him to find rest for our souls. (Matthew 11:28-29) This is not a corporate invitation but individual. Each of us are unique and carry our own form of soul sickness – there is no “one size fit all” solution. JESUS, who is the giver of life knows what each of us needs and will provide it with gentleness and humility.

The medicine source is the same, but the cure is unique to each of us.

On our own we must seek out the WORD.

• …you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul. Deut. 4:29
• Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Psalm 62:1
• Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. 3 John 1:2
• …ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. Jeremiah 6:16
• Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God…Psalm 42:11
• For you created my inmost being….Psalm 139:14
• You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you… Psalm 63:1
• Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being… Psalm 103:1
• The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. Psalm 19:7
• HE leads me beside quiet waters. Psalm 23:2
• In peace I will lie down and sleep…Psalm 4:8

From Genesis to Revelation the WORD and the LIFE fills us with new infusions of His own love, joy and peace.

With grace and truth JESUS will restore and energize our souls again.

My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you—I whom you have delivered. Psalm 71:23

Prayer and Thanksgiving: Our gracious GOD and faithful Father; YOU by whom all things were created and to whom all things belong, YOUR people are weary and worn out; many are afraid, confused feel hopeless and are sorrowing. We come to YOU, our only hope for healing of sick and damaged souls and we ask for an infusion of true and lasting joy, peace. JESUS give us joy, not as the world gives, as He has overcome the world and all of its pain. Deliver our souls from being cast down and cause us to remember that the LORD still reigns supreme. All raging storms, fires and shaking earth are things that in the end will work out for our good and YOUR glory. Father, we thank YOU for your continuing benefits; in the midst of it all YOU forgive our sins, crown us with loving kindness and redeem our lives through JESUS CHRIST, our soul salvation, and our LORD, in whose precious NAME we pray!  Amen!

Always by God’s Word and prayer,

Cecile