Rest

Exodus 33:14 And He said, “My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.”

In this scripture passage, Moses encounters the Lord on Mt. Sinai. Moses intercedes with the Lord and asks the Lord to go with them and be with His people. One concept that I would like to draw from this passage is the concept of “rest.” To have rest “is to have a calm presence.” This is the meaning implied in Hebrew. How often do we find ourselves in a place of unrest? This is what I have been focusing on in my life. To have the presence of God is to have the “rest” of God. This applies to my life and to those with whom I come into contact. This critical concept is only accessed when my trust and leadership are in the Lord and under His control. If the Lord guides me, no outside force or situation can take my “rest.” Moses says in this passage, “If your presence does not go with me, do not bring us up from here.” This is my heart as well. I do not want to go where the Lord is not leading me, and the evidence will lie in the fact that “my will equals turmoil, but the Lord’s will equals rest.” If we have the “rest” of God in our lives, others will know that the Lord abides with us.

Lord, I pray that your presence goes with each person reading this and that the “rest” of God settles over them. Be with your people and let us abide in You. 

Pastor Benaiah Snider