Rest

"Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee." (Psalm 116:7)

My soul, what is it that you seek in the dancing shadows of this day? Why do you wander among the falling leaves of this age, when your soul's Rest calls you home? The world whispers a thousand voices, promising peace, but never rest. You pursue, yet never catch. You drink yet remain thirsty. Your heart is craven, deep, and hollow; nothing can reach it. Except the voice of the One who made you.

Turn O soul to the sound of that Voice. "Return to Me, for I alone am thy perfect rest," is the implication of this text. Long before you were formed, it spoke your name in love. Before the stars were set in the heavens, Rest was calling through time to meet you. Can you hear Him? It is the voice that called light out of darkness, life out of death. He speaks in the secret chambers of your heart

…"Return unto Me, for I am thy rest."

It is the voice of the Beloved, calling you back. But where were you, my soul? How did you drift so far? The answer lies in the deep entanglements of your heart. You were lured away, deceived once again by empty promises that could never truly cap the longing.

You wandered because the world offered you illusions. And your heart believed them, again. Your flesh cried out for pleasure and promised identity in things. But these left you restless, now guilty! far from the calm you crave, far from the peace that only Christ can give. Your distance is not measured by miles but by moments—by the steps between a heart once resting, now anxious. How far have you gone? Is one step too far? Twenty? Return. You have has become weary, disillusioned, and lost in the wilderness.

This voice is not coarse but tender. Inviting, even, warm and hopeful. It says, ‘cease your striving, lay down your sins and your burdens at My feet.’ My soul, where does this call find you? In the midst of your restlessness, distracted by the noise of life. Or maybe in the quiet moments of solitude, when the ache of longing stirs, and you realize how far you are away. Return.

But how do you return? The way back begins with a broken heart. You return by acknowledging that the road is not broken. You are. It is a moment of surrender—letting go of things that perish, that hurt you, that kill. And returning to the Love that bought your heart.

And how do you come home to such love? You come as you are, not by your merit, but with your sin, which is met by His grace… in the coming. The same voice that called you is the same one that leads you home. Like the father of the prodigal, He’s waiting for you and, at the same time, running out to meet you. This is the voice of the One who bore the burden of your wandering, who carried the weight of your sin, calling you home. He is your way back, and your Rest. You need not search for strength within, for He has all the strength you need. Lean on Him, His arms are strong. "Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved?" (Song 8:5) It’s you, my soul.

Return by resting in His finished work afresh, not your own improvements. His love is not earned but given freely, a love that pursues, that rescues, that takes you from the far country and restores you to rest in His embrace.

My soul, why do you delay? To return to Him is to find your strength renewed, your hope restored, your joy rekindled. In His presence, you are not lost, but home. In His embrace, you do not fall but rise.

Return, then, and rest upon the Lord Jesus. Your heart was made to dwell in His, and there, you will find rest.