Rest in Hope

Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from Him. – (Psalm 62:5, NIV)

I must calm down and turn to God; He is my only hope. – (Psalm 62:5, ERV)

My soul quietly waits for the true God alone because I hope only in Him. – (Psalm 62:5, VOICE)

God is the great provider of rest. He comes in the quiet moments we sit before Him and covers us with His peace. His rest looks different for everyone, and often is found in sweet simplicity. Saturday, my final meeting for high school gymnastics this year took place as we held our end-of-the-season banquet. It ended up being on the small side, but it was a sweet, calm time of coming together. No stress, no pressure, just enjoyable time together. Yesterday, as I was in the media area for church both prior to, and throughout both services, there was an extra flooding of peace as the sounds of worship soothed my soul. After church there was a perfect balance between getting things done to prepare for the week, and time spent loving on our dogs. God’s rest can be found wherever we are and in the midst of whatever we are doing, if only we quiet our hearts to hear from Him. May we slow down and seek Him anew each day and recognize the rest that He who is our hope, provides.

My soul finds true rest,

When I slow my mind;

Choose focus on Him,

In whom hope I find.

For He is the peace,

That brings forth the calm;

No matter what comes,

He’s the soothing balm.

Peace that is present,

Hope that is assured;

Rest when we’re weary,

His love is made clear.

Ever choose seek Him,

For He is our rest;

He knows and loves us,

And gives us His best.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are where we find rest and hope and peace, no matter what surrounds us. Thank You that You are the calm in our storms and the peace in our chaos. Forgive us for the times that we neglect to turn to You, for You are faithful forever. Teach us to trust and rely on You to provide the rest we need and the hope that holds our heart in a space of contentment. Show us how to love those around us as You do. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we praise You for being our hope and our space of real rest in all things and at all times. Amen.

© Shannon Elizabeth Grabrick and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present

Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. – Matthew 11:28

Return to Rest

Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you. – (Psalm 116:7, NIV)

My soul, relax! The Lord is caring for you. – (Psalm 116:7, ERV)

O my soul! Return and relax. Come to your true rest, for the Eternal has showered you with His favor. – (Psalm 116:7, VOICE)

Though Thor woke me at the usual time, there is something in my soul that settled this morning as I came upstairs to feed him and begin my usual morning routine. Perhaps it is the realization that I have a break from work for the next two weeks, or the recognition that being Saturday, there is a slowdown in the pace. Either way, my soul felt more at rest as I sat down to read than it is has in quite some time. Despite the busy and crazy of the last several weeks, the Lord has been good to me. He has strengthened and encouraged me, loved me through my fears and discouragement, and surrounded me with people who love and support me well. For this and so much more, I am incredibly grateful. Whatever the next two weeks holds, I pray that you will find rest and relaxation amidst the busy, and that You will be acutely aware of the Lord’s goodness and care for you.

Today, O my soul,

Embrace the sweet rest;

Provided by God,

Who knows our needs best.

In kindness, He holds,

Us each in His hands;

Supplies what we need,

To in His strength, stand.

No matter what comes,

He will remain near;

With strength, peace and love,

He holds us each dear.

Each heart, He blesses,

As we seek His face;

His love is outpoured,

And flooded with grace.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You provide the rest we need when we need it most, and You pour out Your blessings upon us. Forgive us for forgetting just how blessed we are in knowing You. Teach us to count our blessings and to embrace the rest that You provide. Show us how to encourage and lift those around us as we choose to love like You. May many come into a lasting relationship with You, Lord. Be glorified O God, as we relax in the rest that You provide and praise You for Your overwhelming blessings as You grant us strength, peace, hope and love anew every morning. Amen.

© Shannon Elizabeth Grabrick and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present

Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from Him. – Psalm 62:5

Rest Replenished in Hope

Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from Him. – (Psalm 62:5, NIV)

God, the One and only – I’ll wait as long as He says. Everything I hope for comes from Him, so why not? – (Psalm 62:5, MSG)

My soul quietly waits for the True God alone because I hope in only Him. – (Psalm 62:5, VOICE)

As an educator during a pandemic, this has been the truth I have come to know even more than ever before. It is in Christ that I find rest and hope, even on the days that our circumstances felt hopeless. Yesterday was our final day of live and Zoom instruction, and today is an asynchronous day that provides time to tie up loose ends, and work to complete final grading. Tomorrow, we report for one final day to aid in the collection of materials being returned, and to close up our classrooms for the summer. Friday will be the final day of gymnastics, utilized for returning all of our equipment to storage until next year’s season begins. I am beyond grateful for the summer season that provides rest. Though there is a variety of training and such scheduled throughout the time off, there is still time to truly take pause, recognize the goodness of God, and really rest. The beautiful thing about the rest that God provides, is that He does not need vacation nor weekends to make it so. We simply must quiet our soul before Him, for He is our hope and our Provider of rest. God is faithful, and He does what He says He will do. May we quiet our souls before Him and wait on the rest that comes from Him, the One in whom we hold our hope.

My soul does find rest,

In the Lord alone;

As my heart seeks Him,

His love is made known.

The space where hope’s held,

When we seek the Lord;

Is flooded with love,

As goodness is shown.

Trust in His goodness,

Hold hope in His grace;

He’s true to His word,

When we seek His face.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your loving kindness and faithfulness that provide us hope and rest as we seek You. Thank You for moments and seasons of rest. Forgive us for lumbering on in exhaustion, rather than slowing down to see Your true provision of rest. Teach us to turn to You in trust, and wait quietly before You, resting in Your presence. Show us how to come alongside those around us in ways that offer relief and evidence of Your overwhelming love. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we wait on You and praise You for Your blessed provision of real rest. Amen.

© Shannon Elizabeth Grabrick and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present

In You, Lord my God, I put my trust. – Psalm 25:1