Rest in peace.

A phrase that has been written on millions of gravestones and spoken countless times. Historically, this saying dates back to the eighth century, and it is still used in the world today. It is a universal and timeless phrase. If anything, “Rest in peace” shows that rest and peace are difficult to attain in this world, and without Jesus, honestly impossible. 

There was a time in my life in which I was forced to rest. In 2016, I was involved in a pretty serious car wreck. The list of injuries included: Seven fractures in my spine, two in my left ankle, almost going into cardiac arrest, over a week in the ICU, two surgeries, and back braces and casts galore. Whenever I asked my doctors and specialists what I could do to help speed up the recovery process, they always had one, infuriating answer: “Rest.” 

Physically, it looked as though I was doing just what the doctors ordered. However, although my body was resting, my mind was not at peace, and consequently I had no rest. It seems rest and peace go hand in hand, you cannot fully experience one without the other. I knew I needed peace. I desperately needed these worries, fears and doubts in my mind to be gone. So I cried out to my Father in Heaven. 

The Lord brought me to this scripture in John chapter 14, verse 27. Jesus says: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

This scripture shows that Jesus gave us peace; it is part of our inheritance from Him. At that moment, I knew I needed to be bold and claim that gift. So I said, “I have the peace of God in my mind right now that was given to me through Jesus.”  And what happened next? Peace came almost immediately. Did the outward results come just as fast? No. Was I instantly walking out of bed? Nope. Did I have a perfect X-Ray the next day? No again. (Though all those things happened quickly after, thank you Jesus!) But, despite what my outward circumstances looked like in that moment, the peace of God had flooded my thoughts and mind, and I was able to fully rest.

Thankfully, we do not have to wait until death, or a near-death car accident to “rest in peace.” Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave so that we could rest in His peace today. His peace and rest are a gift and part of our inheritance. If you are in need of peace today, come boldly to the throne as Hebrews 4:16 says and ask for it!  Enjoy your time of rest ☺️.

Posted 01/15/2023