QUIETNESS AND REST ARE AVAILABLE TO ALL WHO RETURN TO GOD!

BIBLE PASSAGE:
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.”
(Isiah 30:15)

MEDITATION:
God offers so much to mankind and His promises are true and trustworthy.
However, it is our responsibility to decide what we will do with His promises.
It begins with deciding if we believe the bible was written by God through men.
If we believe it was written by God, then by default,
we have to believe His promises are true and can impact our own lives.

Unfortunately many choose to “have none of it”.
Logically it doesn’t make sense, does it?
Too often people refuse to trust God, and consequently
they miss out on enjoying the fullness of the quietness and peace He offers.
Instead, they choose to trust in man,
which causes them to experience the restless excitement that it includes.

People seem to struggle with trusting an unseen God
and choose instead to trust what they can see and touch.
Fear can cause us to either cling to the Lord, or turn away from Him.
The people of Israel were victims of their fears,
and God urged them to return to Him in faith.

We can turn away from God as a result of intellectual
and hypothetical thinking, or feelings of anxiety, or of course, sin.
And how do we return to God?
We have to simply trust Him and His Word.

And when we do, we will have a desire to repent
and we develop a confidence that God will supply ALL of our needs.
We are bombarded with all kinds of promises that try to
convince us we cannot depend on God, or that He doesn’t even exist.
But it doesn’t take us long to realize the world cannot offer what God does.
Only God cares for us, is with us at all times, and works for our good.

When we return to Him, we develop confidence that God will give us what
we need to cope with the outside forces contending for control of our minds.
The result is, we experience a quietness of life, a rest during turmoil,
and a solid assurance that God is our promoter, provider, and protector.

ACTION:
Trust in God brings rest from our own evil consciences,
rest from our own plans and purposes, and insight into
the benefits of a righteous life that is meaningful and enriched.
Trust in God allows us to be calm and subdue sinful desires,
which are eager to torture and create disappointments for us.

Rest does not mean the absence of disturbances, the lack of forethought,
or a passive effort in resisting negative influences from the evil one.
But it does mean we will have an unusual ability
to patiently cope with the troubles we face in life.

And when we experience this coping ability, we will want to
return to the Lord more fully, trust Him more completely,
and pursue our relationship with Him more diligently.
We learn that our calmness and peacefulness increases the closer we are to Him.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for Your promise that I can find quiet
and rest when I return to You. Forgive me for allowing evil influences
to cause me to reject the blessings You have for me. Help me to return
to You, to have a burning desire to stay close to You, and to fully trust
You as my Lord and Savior.”

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