Find Rest

Find Rest

His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Psalm 91:4

AFTER THE FALL OF COMMUNISM in eastern Europe, many Christian believers came forward with stories of God’s protection. They did not deny the severe abuses or extremely lean times they went through. But in spite of their troubles, they testified that God either sheltered them from the worst of offenses or gave them the strength to endure. He gave them faith from adversity or faith in the midst of adversity. He buffered them from the strategies of evil and, like good armor, absorbed the worst blows.

Times of adversity seem to come in waves, whether personally or on a large scale. We go through long seasons of relative peace and contentment punctuated with volatile seasons of social unrest, economic stress, wars and rumors of war, personal crises, political animosity, relational conflict, and more. At times we lament the turmoil swirling around us. At other times, it shakes us to our core, and we feel threatened and afraid.

The same was true in biblical times, when cities prospered for decades but then fell to a conquering tribe or empire. Families and communities were separated, sold into slavery, abused, exploited, or simply killed. Diseases appeared suddenly and spread quickly, devastating regions and generations. Yet even in that ever-threatening climate, God spoke words of comfort. He is faithful to his promises, and we can use them as our armor and protection.

Psalm 91 begins with one of those promises—those who live in the shelter of the Most High find rest in his shadow—and continues with encouraging words about God’s protection all the way through. These are not just words of comfort to cheer us up. They are words of commitment from the God who watches over us. Yes, he may define protection a bit differently from our expectations, but the promise does not lose its meaning in the process. He means what he says. We can have faith even in the worst of times. His promises are still true. Believe them, invest your heart in them, and find your rest in them. His faithfulness never ends.

Be thou a bright flame before me . . . a guiding star above me . . . a smooth path beneath me . . . a kindly shepherd behind me, today and evermore.