228. Rest, Quiet, Unafraid
Jeremiah 30:10 Therefore fear thou not, O my servant Jacob, saith the Lord, neither be dismayed. O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return,and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid.
The immediate promise of God for the Jews of Jeremiah’s day in Exile is that they will be saved from a far country and the land of their captivity, and they will return. The broader promise to all believers in Christ is that they will be saved from afar, a long way from Home with God, and from their captivity to sin, death, and the devil. This salvation is secured for us in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He returns us to our Homeland, the kingdom of God.
In the kingdom of God we will be at rest. Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” Believing is rest after toil and trouble, striving and struggle, fear and anxiety. And, after death, we shall enter into the Sabbath-Rest. “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, for they shall rest from their labors.” “Cease striving (relax), and know that I am God.” We may enter Rest now by faith in the Gospel.This true spiritual rest affects our souls and bodies with comfort and peace. The Good Shepherd does this.
And we shall be quiet. “Quiet” in this context means safe and secure, free from fear and danger, resting comfortably in His love. “Quiet” also means not loud, noisy, complaining, and carrying on because we are not being treated fairly. “Peace and Quiet” is a state of mind that we actually work for and strive after, or at least, dream about. Quietness settles into the soul when we know forgiveness and salvation, a future and a hope.
And nothing and no one shall make us afraid. How many times does the Lord say to us, “Fear not!?” Whom shall I fear? What should I be worried about? The Lord is with me and I am with Him, comfortably resting in His loving and strong arms. I have come home to the safe place where I belong.