Nothing Else Will Do

The Word is first...

Psalm 62:5 (NIV)

⁵ Find rest, O my soul, in God alone;

my hope comes from him.

The Holy Bible : New International Version. electronic ed. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984

As The Lord reveals himself to a sinner, the sinner's heart is spoiled to the things which once lay hold to their affection. Where once money satisfied, there is dissatisfaction. Where once sinful pursuits of carnality provided pleasure, there is profound displeasure. Any sense of pride, accomplishment and complacency is scattered as the leaves before a storm.

This is part and parcel to the realization of sin and the burden or wages of sin. It is not until the sinner recognizes their helplessness and hopeless state that The Lord may take possession of their heart. Accordingly, those things in which the sinner once found refuge or rest cease to satisfy. The hope that was built upon personal success or perceptions of control crumbles.

Once the deceitful heart has been shown its true condition and the sinful self has been poured out, The Lord pours in The Spirit and sets about overcoming every condition which vexes and perplexes. He does this not by satisfying the repentant sinner's hunger for worldly things but rather by creating a hunger for godly things. Righteousness for unrighteousness, atonement for transgression, grace, faith, hope and love. And along with the new appetite, The Lord sets out a great banquet that will satisfy that hunger. Once tasted, the banquet of The Lord's table ruins every lesser thing. Nothing else will do.

So, like David in today's passage, the rest that we most need; not the renewal of physical strength but the rejuvenation of our souls, is found in God alone. The redeemed experience a restlessness of their souls when not aligned with God's will. But when properly aligned, though their bodies grow weary and weak, their soul rests perpetually in the bosom of God and there is found peace. Knowing this, experiencing this, unleashes the hope for tomorrow which sustains us.

Let us join David in his exhortation "Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him."

Shalom,
Carl