Finding Rest for Your Soul

By Michelle Wilkes*

“He heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds” Psalm 147:3

     Have you ever known the pain of feeling ashamed of yourself: what you’ve done, or who you have become? Have you ever felt like you knew the direction you were headed in was wrong, but you didn’t know how to change? Have you ever tried to fill the emptiness and loneliness with people, alcohol, sex, success, doing ‘good deeds’, busyness, or possessions?  Have you found that what you’re seeking doesn’t satisfy – the pit just gets deeper? Have you felt helpless and without hope?

  
    Do you know that there IS hope? You can find forgiveness, restoration, and peace for your soul.  There is One who can fill that longing and emptiness. He can heal those wounds and point you in the right direction. His name is Jesus.

     
     The Lord Jesus Christ is God.  He is the God who also became a man. As a man He faced the same kind of pressures and temptations that we face now, yet He did not sin.  He is the only one who lived in the way that God intended man to live. He came because we needed a Savior. He did what was right and good; He healed the sick and even raised the dead.  He showed us what God is like and what God desires. He showed us God’s love, His standards, and His hatred of evil.  Jesus also showed the way for us to be ‘right’ with God. And He made the way possible.

“All sin and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23

“When Adam sinned, sin entered the entire human race. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.” Romans 5:12

Sin is literally “missing the mark.” Sin often starts with doubting God – we don’t trust that He knows that is best for us (even though He is the One who made us). So, rather than turning to Him for direction or to meet our needs, we may turn to substitutes to satisfy.  We so what we know is wrong, or fail to do what we know is right.  Our motives are selfish and we seek to justify our actions or shift the blame.  But our God is holy and rihteous and just, and his character demans that there is justice: He must judge sin. He cannot turn His back on it (Romans 2:2-3).

"The wages of sin is death..." (Romans 6:23a) God warned Adam and Eve that if thye ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Eveil, they would die. (Genesis 2:16-17). And they did. It was not an immediate physical death, although death and decay were now a part of the world. The death they faced was spiritual. They were "...dead in their trespasses and sin..." (Ephesians 2:1). The intimate, loving and fulfilling relationship with God was now cut off. They were separated from fellowship with the One who thoughtfully created and provided for them. Man now knew and experienced evil. The consequences affected them spiritually, emotionally, physically, and relationally. There was now shame, blame, pain, toil, sorrow, hatred, selfishness, strife, arrogance, fear, jealousy and even murder.

     Adam and Eve were ashamed, and they hid from God. Isn't that how we are, even now? We are ashamed, and we are afraid to face God. We may try to deny that we sin, or offer excuses for it, or say there is no God, so we don't have to worry about violating His standards. But in our hearts we know it is true, and it tears us apart. (Romans 1) We hurt our families; we hurt ourselves; we even hurt God. Sure, we do some nice things, but even then, is not some of it so that we can feel good about ourselves? Or to somehow try and earn God's approval, thinking our good deeds will outweight the bad and we'll be OK with Him? The Bible is full of illustrations of how man sins, turns from God, and how God hates evil.  But we have a God whose love for man is so immense, so strong, that He provides a way for them to 'come back' and be forgiven and reconciled to Him again. Even when it means He must suffer in order for it to be accomplished.

Good News! God had a plan!
"The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord." This is the good news of Romans 6:23

"When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were yet sinners. And since we have been made right in God's sight by the blood of Christ, He will certainly save us from God's judgement." (Romans 5:6,8 New Living Translation).

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, so whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16

"But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He Loves us, even when we were dead in our sins, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved). Ephesians 2:4-5

    God promised that He would send a Deliverer (the Messiah, or Christ). He would be the One who would - once and for all - atone for and redeem the people who were lost in sin and death.  He would offer up Himself as a sacrifice on our behalf. Jesus would be the "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). Jesus took our place, our punishment, for us on the cross. "Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many" (Hebrews 9:27).  While He was on the cross, He paid the debt we owed. "He was wounded and crushed for our sins. All of us have strayed away like sheep. We have left God's paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on Him the guilt and sins of us all" (from Isaiah 53).

     But this is not the end of the story! Jesus is alive! Just as scripture promised, Jesus rose again - He was resurrected from the dead (see Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20).  "Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and He was raised from the dead on the third day, as the Scriptures said" (I Corinthians 15:3,4).

     So God makes eternal life available to all. Does this mean that everyone is automatically forgiven and has eternal life? No. Look again at John 3:16 - it says "...he gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life."  God requires that we place our trust in Him and believe in Him. He call us to repentance, which is a change of mind; a change in our thinking.  This change is so deep that it affects how we live. God is calling us to turn from sin and self and to trust in Him and His plan for our salvation.  "Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3). But the Bible promises, "If you confess with your mouth 'Jesus is Lord' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9).

     "God saved you by His special favor when you believed.  And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God.  Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so nne of us can boast about it. For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things He planned for us long ago" (Ephesians 2:8-10 NLB). This special favor that God offers us is called grace. It is God's gift to us, even though we don't deserve it.

     Believe that Jesus is Lord. He died on the cross to pay for your sin and mine. Believe that He rose from the grave, and now we can have eternal life with Him. Admit your sin - "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (I John 1:9). You no longer need to feel ashamed or guilty - He gives you new life. "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, behold, all things are new" (2 Corinthians 5:17).

     Does this mean that you or your life will now be perfect while you are here on earth? No, we all continue to sin. But as you grow in your relationship with the Lord, you will want to do what is pleasing to Him out of love and gratitude.  He will give you new desires, and will give you the power and strength needed to follow Him. He will guide you and direct your paths (Proverbs 3:5,6).  Still, this doesn't mean that life will all be easy now. There will be times of difficulty. Family and friends may even turn their back on you. Life may be harder, because Jesus calls us to live life differently. But He will be with you every step of the way. The Lord will bless you. "For God has said, 'I will never leave you. I will never forsake you.' That is why we can say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper, so I will not be afraid. What can mere man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:5,6).  You can always go to Him with your cares, burdens and questions. 

     To prove that He never leaves us, He has sent us the Holy Spirit - God to dwell within us. Before He was crucifed, Jesus assured His disciples that He would send the Holy Spirit to be with them forever. "If you love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray to the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever (the Holy Spirit). You will know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you" (John 14:15-18).

     This is all part of the abundant life we have with Him now. And we have confidence that when we die, we will go to be with Him in heaven forever, where there is no sin, death or sorrow.  Jesus said, "Don't let your hearts be troubled; you trust in God, now trust also in Me. In my Father's house there are many rooms; I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am" (John 14:1-3). We can trust him with every part of our lives, and the believer can trust that when he dies, he will go to be with the Lord.

     Jesus will fill the void in your life, and He will give you the unconditional love our hearts yearn for. "Whosoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Romans 10:13). Just tell Him that you believe in what He has done on your behalf; He died for your sins and rose from the grave. Ask Him to forgive you and come into to your life to change you. He will!!

"I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." (John 8:12)

Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls." (Matthew 11:28-29)

P.S. I have been praying for you. It is my hope and God's great desire that you will find life in Christ. There is no greater joy.  If you have made this decision, I encourage you to tell someone (Romans 10:10 and Matthew 10:32-33).  I believe God will give you a desire to know Him better. The best way to know God is to spend time reading the Bible and pray to Him. You are part of God's family now. He wants His children to love, support, teach, and encourage one another. We do this when we become a part of a Bible teaching and believing church. And one last thing - baptism. It is an outward expression of what has happened in your heart. It is an act of obedience to God which represents that our old life has died, been buried, and we are now raised to a new life in Jesus (Romans 6:4).
All of these things are not essential to salvation, but as a Christian, there should be the desire to do these things.  May God richly bless you in your wonderful new life in Him!

*Michelle Wilkes is the half sister of Keri Jacobs, and helps with the ministry of Alternate Melody. She lives in Florida.