Restless: June 28, 2010

Today's Word for Monday June 28, 2010

RESTLESS

DEFINITION

Characterized by or showing inability to remain at rest; uneasy; fearful; discontent: unsettled.

SCRIPTURE

"Attend to me, and hear me; I am restless in my complaint, and moan noisily." Psalm 55:2

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE

People are born with a sense of being lost, feeling incomplete, and unfulfilled. Man was created as a spiritual being and made to have fellowship with God. Without this fellowship the unrighteous person is unsettled and without peace in his walk and in his talk.

Nicodemus was a Jewish ruler and teacher so he was very knowledgeable about the Jewish laws and religion. As a Pharisee he held a respected position and was well established in life but was lacking something and he knew it. His sense of need drove him to come to Jesus as the scripture tells us, by night and in secret. He was seeking answers for his unrestlessness.

The actions of Nicodemus later in life as recorded in the scriptures tells us that he willingly received Jesus into his heart and indeed was born again. With Joseph of Aramathea, they went publically to Pilate, not secretly as before, to get the body of Jesus for preparation for burial.

Many people today are just like Nicodemus. They are knowledgeable, religious and highly respected yet they are unfulfilled and restless. If you are one of them how do you overcome restlessness in your life? First of all, just as Nicodemus did, you must come to Jesus and ask Him into your life.

Even as believers we experience restlessness in our lives. David experienced restlessness as we have written in the verse from Psalm 55:2 above. David knew where to turn in his times of stress and restlessness. In our times of restlessness we as believers need to turn to God just as David did. In Psalm 37: 1-8 David gives us sound and clear advice to overcome the restlessness in our lives.

He tells us first not to fret because of evil people that we have to put up with in life, nor to be envious of those who do wrong and seem to prosper and suffer no consequences.

Second, we are to trust in the Lord and do good.

Third, we are to delight in the Lord and the result that we can expect is that God shall give us the desires of our heart.

Fourth, we are to commit our ways unto the Lord by trusting in Him.

Fifth, we are to rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him to respond to our cry to Him.

Finally the Psalmist tells us to cease from anger and forsake wrath.

When we are restless it is easy to let ourselves fret and worry about things. When we worry we focus on our problems and get stressed. Stress often leads to anger. If we turn our problems over to the Lord and trust in Him, our thoughts will be on Him and His goodness to us. Then He can give us His peace and we can rest in the Lord.

If you are facing restlessness in your life just remember these thoughts: Do not fret, trust in the Lord, delight in the Lord, commit your ways to the Lord, rest in the Lord and cease from anger and forsake wrath.

LEARNING

Our memory verse for this week is found in Genesis 1:1.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

PRAYER
Help me to overcome restlessness in my life by not worrying about the "things" in my life and putting my total trust in You. Help me every moment of this day to delight in You, to commit my ways unto You and to rest in You.