Have you been pillow-shopping lately? If not, be forewarned: the number of options may cause nausea, dizziness, and high blood pressure.
There are pillows made with down, fiberfill, foam, latex, gel, and even buckwheat hulls. Manufacturers also provide different levels of cushioning, and now pillows come in different shapes, depending on your sleep position or special needs such as neck pain.
All they want is for you to get a good night’s sleep, right? Oh, and sell you lots of different pillows until you find the one best for you!
For proper rest though, we need a different kind of pillow—not made from feathers, foam, or buckwheat hulls; not made by Mike Lindell. The pillows I’m thinking of can easily be taken with us wherever we go and never need to be replaced. They’re free too!
These special pillows have been available a long time, but perhaps Charles Spurgeon, the famous preacher of Victorian England, was the first to make note of them. He suggested we “use the Lord’s words as our pillows,” and lie down upon them in restful faith [1].
We’d do well to understand:
God wants us to rest—physically (Psalm 127:2) and especially spiritually (Matthew 11:28-30).
In fact, the word rest, when referring to spiritual relaxation, is used over 200 times in scripture [2].
Spiritual rest brings tranquility of soul.
We can experience rest from anxiety and fear—even fear of death—as we place our confidence in God, our all-wise and powerful, ever-merciful and gracious, wholly-trustworthy and faithful Heavenly Father.
St. Augustine was right when he prayed:
The key to spiritual rest is acquainting ourselves thoroughly with God’s Word (Psalm 119:52).
It’s there we find the pillows of encouragement, hope, and peace we need in order to experience rest.
And what might some of those scriptural Word-pillows be? Here are three examples.
Pillow #1
My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.
–Exodus 33:14
Each moment we can choose to focus on God and his attributes, or on our problems and their difficulty. When we choose the former, He wields his attributes on our behalf.
- His wisdom offers perspective, and keeps discouragement in check.
- His power affords strength to endure.
- His attentive care provides blessing in the midst of challenge.
- His protection shields us from deep despair.
- His provision supplies all that we need [3].
Pillow #2
Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths,
ask where the good way is and walk in it,
and you will find rest for your souls.
— Jeremiah 6:16
The more we know of God and his attributes, the better-equipped we’ll be when adversity strikes.
Pillow #3
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.
Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
Then you will experience God’s peace,
which exceeds anything we can understand.
His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
–Philippians 4:6-7 NLT
Such truths become all the more meaningful when we remember: the apostle Paul was in prison when he penned these words to the Philippians (1:14). From his own experience he wanted his readers to know that prayer and gratitude produce peace, as we depend upon our sovereign God whose ways are always right.[5]
* * * * * * * * * *
O God, help me rest in you and upon your Word-pillows of scripture.
I thank you for the pillows of promise, reminding me of your sovereign power to provide whatever I need.
I thank you for the pillows of assurance, affirming your glorious attributes, always at work for the best conclusion.
And I thank you for the pillows of encouragement, reminding me that with you all things are possible, with you I can stand firm through life’s trials, and with you I am NEVER without hope.
(Psalm 23:2-3; Proverbs 30:5; Psalm 145:15-16;
John 5:17; Job 42:2; Ephesians 6:10-17 and 1:18)
What Word-pillow from scripture gives rest to your soul ? Please share it in the comment section below!
[1] Faith’s Checkbook, January 3.
[2] Herbert Lockyer, Seasons of the Lord, 241.
[3] Proverbs 2:1-11; Isaiah 40:31: Jeremiah 17:7-8; Psalm 33:17-18; Philippians 4:19
[4] Psalm 18:30; Psalm 22:28; Deuteronomy 32:4
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