“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29).
REST FOR YOUR SOULS
Rest for our souls is a different concept to rest for our bodies.
Jesus had a way of walking through the earth without worrying or being fretful, there was no fear involved, for if we fear God then there’s no one else left to fear.
"Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt 10:28).
Here we see a distinction between body and soul. The soul is given by God, it sits at the centre of our being and it’s designed to live in freedom, walk in security and work with strength, all of which come from God.
We are not snared by sin or the fear of man: “I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts” (Ps 119:45). We seek God and obey his words, we move in freedom unhindered by the enslavement of the devil.
The Lord leads us beside still waters to restore our soul. Jesus is interested that we receive good food, in quiet pastures. Satan wants to agitate the waters but the Lord says, “Peace be still” (Mark 4:39).
So we take upon ourselves the yoke that Jesus wore, the yoke that’s gentle, the harness of humility. We also live in the peace and stillness that comes from heaven. For God’s will can be done in our lives as it is in heaven.
“You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You” (Isa 26:3).
Our fallen nature will pull us to one side and the enemy will attempt to pull us to the other, but God gives us the strength to walk straight and true, in peace and heaven’s security.
As we see the Lord’s second advent drawing closer each day, we do well to feel heaven’s presence drawing closer to us. There’s no worldly striving in it, no selfish ambition, and no one–upmanship, only the love of God pervading our being.
That’s the rest we need for our souls.