Rest for Your Soul

Last Sunday, Pastor Lorne started his message by saying the last song sung that morning that goes… Coming to the heart of worship… is lifting our hearts and praise in worship. He said for the last few years, worship has become an industry. Special teams. Certain songs.

He said worship is Jesus and we need to lift Him up and worship Him totally. All the rest like the screens, computer graphics, background pictures and good music is nice, but in the middle of all that, our worship should be totally on Jesus.

Pastor Lorne talked about having lunch with someone who kept texting and making phone calls during the meal. He said used to spend lots of time trying to find Dianne but now that he has his own cell phone, he calls her and knows exactly where she is. In this day, if seems you’re not achieving much unless you’re not texting. You seem to always be on the go. People can’t just rest anymore. Always something going on or trying to stay connected. You’re never alone. He said it’s not a bad thing, but even in his own life, he has the phone ringing no matter what he’s doing.

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

Gen 1:31 to 2:3 says, ‘Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. When God made creation, He made a day of rest.’ Pastor Lorne said God was very occupied creating everything, but even He rested from his work.

We all need a place of rest. There’s an old hymn ‘there’s a place of quiet rest near to the heart of God’. Pastor Lorne said he’s not talking about physical rest but mental rest. There is a place of quiet rest near the heart of God. Even if you don’t have a cell phone glued to your ear or you’re not networking on the computer, you need a solid place of rest. And this isn’t just for adults but also for kids. Even from the pressures of school. We need a time where we can have that change of direction in our lives when we can

Psalms 103:4-5 says, ‘who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.’


And Isaiah 40:30,31 says, ‘Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.’

So when you get weary by all life’s challenges and it feels like you can’t take another step, whether you’re old or young, know that God will renew your strength. According to v30 above, even youths grow tired. School and studying take a lot of energy.

Psalms 37:7 says, ‘Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.’ Pastor Lorne said the King James Version of that passage uses the word ‘rest’ instead of ‘still’. Wait patiently for Him. He’ll be there for us.

In Isaiah 57:2 we read, ‘Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death.’

And the whole chapter of Psalms 23 talks about restoring your soul. When you can’t handle anymore, He restores your soul and gives you the energy to face another day. To enable you to handle your problems.

Matt 11:28 and 29 says, ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 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.’ Just rest. Rest from the phone, emails, and demands of everyday life. He will give you rest. The scripture also says Jesus wants to us to take his easy burden and learn from Him. We’ll find rest for our soul.

Pastor Lorne said as he travels around, he sees people who seem to have everything together but they’ll ask for a private moment with him and then, in privacy, they fall apart. So burdened with life’s issues. Jesus’ yoke – it’s easy – a light load. In all the cares of life, go to Him.

Talking a holiday is rest. Jesus took holidays with his disciples. Even more important than rest is to find rest for our souls. Some executive type people don’t even leave their phones at home on holidays. They think if they take their families on an expensive holiday, they can continue working on the phone. But, that’s not rest.

You need mental rest as well as physical rest to restore your soul and Jesus can help you find it.