"In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it." (Isaiah 30:15 NLT)
Repentance and rest are the R&R of the Kingdom. Truly, they are the cure for the soul.
We are a worn-out culture, aren’t we? It is ironic because we have invented so many ways to relax: beach vacations, theme parks, massage, muscle relaxers, ASMR, entertainment centers and noise machines all attempting to lull us into oblivion. Yet we remain the most high-strung people. I suspect it is because we have ignored God’s prescription for the restoration of our soul: repentance and rest.
Repentance is probably the piece that trips us up the most. It’s uncomfortable, for sure, admitting one’s sinfulness. Searching our hearts for offense and admitting our failure openly requires humility and honesty, two traits that tend to be in short supply. Repentance is essential to the process, though; we must first admit to our sinfulness if we’ll ever be able to rest in God’s grace.
That’s the ‘r’ that comes next: rest. But it isn’t sitting around in stretchy pants or lounging about as we might imagine. Rest involves trusting God with our failures. Only when we have rightly acknowledged our sinfulness can we can rest in Christ’s completed work on the cross. Then we can have confidence that His perfect sacrifice has completely covered our sin and now we get to rest in His mercy. This rest is far deeper than a couch and a remote or a rocking chair on the front porch. This is the rest that permeates a soul and allows it breathe in sweet relief, confident that it’s trespasses have been taken care of and full of admiration for the One who settled our debt.
Our salvation and ultimate restoration are found in repentance and rest. We rely on so much less and therefore come up short over and over.
"Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore He will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all those who wait on Him." (Isaiah 30:18 NIV)
Our good God is so patient with us: waiting on. our right choice to repent and rest. There is a deep and lasting blessing when we learn at last to wait Him.
Lord, You have invited us to repentance. You’ve given us Your Spirit as invitation and access to Your presence for admission. Make us willing. Help us search our hearts and find anything offensive, anything that props itself up against You. May we be quick to confess: earnest and honest, without guile. And may we learn to rest fully in Your sacrifice, trusting Your mercy completely. We love You, Lord, and we are grateful for the grace that You extend. May we possess the courage to receive it. Amen.