Return Unto Thy Rest, O My Soul

 Temple Baptist Church - 8-20-2023

Psalms 116:1-8

 

Introduction:

 

A. In many of the Psalms, we find the man of God in distress because of either his surrounding circumstances or the oppression of the wicked.

 

B.  In verses 1-2, we find the love of the psalmist for the LORD.

 

1.  He knew Who he loved.  “the LORD”  Jehovah God, the One who would be Israel’s Messiah, the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world!  We love Him because He first loved us and gave Himself for us.

 

2.  He knew why he loved Him.  Not only did Jehovah God love man, but also, He heard his cry.  His prayers and supplications.

 

C. Despite these verses that I read, we find a sorrowful saint.  Verse 3 describes the depths of his sorrow. 

 

1.  Our Battles are Long and Hard

2.  Our Way is Rough and Weary

3.  Our Tongues are Bitter and Complaining

4.  Our Spiritual Eyesight Dimmed 

5.  Our Hearts Ungrateful and Selfish

6.  Our Soul Disquieted

 

D.  In this life, we find much in the way of sorrow and trouble but, thank God, there is a better day coming!

 

Revelation 21:3-4  And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.  4  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.  (Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning!)

 

E.  Verses 4-6.  His supplication.  “O LORD”  He cries out to God for deliverance yet fails to trust God to do so!

 

F.  Verse 7.  I want to call your attention to verse 7 for a minute.  The Psalmist said, “Return unto thy rest, O my soul!”

 

1.  His soul has left a promised rest. Matthew 11:28-29  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  (29)  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

 

a)  “I will give you rest” vs. “ye shall find rest”.  Though God has promised rest, there are times when we do not seek that rest and become restless in our souls.

 

b)  He beseeches his personal soul (in which he should have control of) to “Return” to its place of rest.

 

2.  Return unto thy rest, O my soul”  Return means that there is the possibility of our soul leaving a promised rest.  You cannot return to what you never had.

 

G.  Our spiritual rest is not to be based upon our circumstances.

 

1.  There are times when we lay down at night and sleep flees.  Our minds remain active while our body tries to sleep.  I hate those nights as I peep at the clock a dozen times and wish for the day.

 

2.  There are times when we worry about or dread things that are coming and sleep flees.    Our REST is found in the LORD.

 

Psalms 37:7  Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

 

H.   We NEED rest.

 

1.  Rest In Our Salvation - Philippians 1:6  Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

 

2.  Rest In Our Service – 2 Corinthians 7:5  For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.

 

Mark 6:31  And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.

 

3.  Rest In Our Stand - Jeremiah 6:16  Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.

 

4.  Rest In Our Spirit – 2 Corinthians 2:13  I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother: but taking my leave of them, I went from thence into Macedonia.

 

5.  Rest In Our Sanctuary - Acts 9:31  Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.

 

6.  Rest In Our Saviour - Matthew 11:28-29  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.