The Bible teaches its readers how to respond to God's call of repentance, which is through faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible also teaches those who follow the commands of God how to attain that peace that transcends all understanding and never fails, unlike its worldly counterpart that preaches peace through absence of conflict. The Bible shows various men and women who are engulfed in conflict, yet never depart from the peace of God. Their rest is solely upon Him, the provision He supplies comes whether they expect it or not. This is the heart the Father, our God and Maker, requires from those who profess to love Him.

How do we attain the rest? How do we abide in His presence even when everything around us seems to fail? The Lord tells us to "Be still, and know that I am God." How can we be still? By knowing the Lord is God! If we just rest in Him completely and utterly, not worrying about circumstances nor fretting over when and where things will arrive or come, for He will provide for us, we will walk through this pilgrimage with little or no fear, nor problems concerning our heart. How do we rest in Him? By acknowledging and dwelling upon His power! We are not to rush into anything rashly, but acknowledge the Lord in all our ways and allow Him the privilege to direct our steps towards Him and His rest. The Father requires us to follow Him and obey Him with a whole heart. If we are not able to rest in Him and rest in His love and providential care, it may be caused by sin in our hearts, which will prevent the Lord from fellowshipping with us the way He desires to fellowship with us. However, if we love Him and keep His commandments close to us, we will not be far from Him.

There are two examples of "be still and know" in the Old Testament. In 1 Kings 22:1-3, we find the king of Israel, during a time of peace, asking Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, to go to war with Ramoth-Gilead. The words the king uses are very intriguing, for he says, "Know ye that Ramoth in Gilead is ours, and we be still, and take it not our of the hand of the king of Syria?" Here, the king of Israel is trying to take Jehoshaphat out of the peaceful rest of Judah, for they had not been warring with another country for three years. Jehoshaphat asks for the Lord's prophets to tell him whether or not to go, and one tells him not to go. The Lord requires us to rest when there is peace, but act when there is conflict, yet still abiding in the same rest of God's power and provision regardless of the circumstances. Jehoshaphat eventually went to war, and saw the king of Israel killed because of his refusal to rest during God's time of peace.

In Ruth 3:18, we find Ruth asked to lay at the foot of Boaz's bed as a tactic to gain his love and trust. Ruth is told, "Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall." Ruth is told to keep resting until she knows the outcome of the situation. We need to bear the same spirit within us as well; when we ask the Lord for something in prayer, the Lord requires us to wait for His answer, to wait for the outcome of the situation. If we rush into the answer without waiting for God's approval, then our rash decisions may be countered with the chastening of the Lord.

The Lord wants us to wait when it is time to wait, but He requires us to act when it is time, but not to draw our conclusions on the act until the Lord reveals it in His time. Be still, and know God is in control, and His rest will abide in you forever.

Father, I pray you give understanding to the reader of your rest and abiding presence, and I pray you give us all peace, rest, and tranquility even in the times when they are hard, in the name of our Almighty God and in His Son, Jesus Christ, Amen.