In Part 1 of this series, we explored the idea of finding true rest in God alone. In Part 2, we looked at what it means to trust in God amid the pressures of life. Now, in this concluding post, we turn our attention to how resting in the Rock transforms us—not just offering relief but reshaping how we live, think, and step through the world.
Psalm 62 doesn’t simply speak of rest as a static concept, like sitting on the couch after a long day. Instead, it invites us into a dynamic relationship with God—a rest that reshapes our priorities, grows resilience, and reframes how we engage with the world.
A Rest That Reshapes Priorities
It is written in Psalm 62:11-12:
One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard:
‘Power belongs to you, God, and with you, Lord, is unfailing love’;
and, ‘You reward everyone according to what they have done.’
Here we see a contrast: God is mighty and loving. His strength speaks to his stability, while his love invites us into relationship. When we rest in God we see life differently. Our priorities shift. Power, wealth, and status lose its allure because we understand that only God will satisfy.
There has been told the story of a man who worked hard to climb the corporate ladder. He had everything—position, wealth, influence, power—but at the peak of his career, he found himself empty. One day, during an unplanned visit to a small country church, he heard the words of Matthew 16:26, “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”
In that moment his heart was convicted. The words stopped him in his tracks. He realised those things he’d been striving for were fragile and fleeting. Change didn’t come overnight, but slowly he had a shift in focus. He spent more time with his family, he had a new depth of relationship with God. He began to serve others rather than himself. His soul found rest, not in what he achieved but in whom he trusted.
A Rest That Grows Resilience
Rest in God isn’t passive; it is active and brings with it a sense of hope. In Jeremiah 17:7-8 we are given a picture of a tree planted by a stream. It says,
But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.
The pressures of life, like uncertainty, grief, and stress, don’t suddenly disappear when we rest in God. Like that tree, however, we are given life and hope and nourishment that comes from a deep well. We are given greater resilience and allows us to face these challenges without breaking, snapping, or losing all hope.
When we rest in God we find that our we are refined like gold with fire. Instead of being unable to hope and unable to cope we are given deep resources by grace. His grace. For us. A grace that comes from resting in the Rock.
A Rest That Reframes Our Life
So resting in this Rock doesn’t mean we will abandon all responsibilities and become monks or nuns. Instead, we approach these responsibilities of life with a different frame of mind. In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus invites us to take his yoke upon us. Now, a yoke is a tool, not a device to help us lounge around, and it is to be used in partnership with another. When Jesus speaks of his yoke being easy and his burden light it is because he is the partner who carries the weight. Much of our baggage is not ours to carry, and so Jesus is there with us taking it upon himself. Just like he took our sins and burdens upon himself at the cross, so too he carries our daily worries and anxieties to help us rest. When we rest in Jesus, our life becomes less about proving ourselves and more about walking in step with him.
As someone who enjoys ticking things off the to-do list, it’s easy to fall into the trap of measuring my worth by what I’ve done. When I take time to rest in God though, well, my life and perspective is different. I recognise it is by his grace, and I can say ‘no’ to certain things, and ‘yes’ to other things that seem to me to be right priorities.
Resting in God is not an escape from life but a way of being that transforms everything we do. It reshapes our priorities, grows our resilience, and reframes our lives. It’s not about doing less but about trusting more. And in that trust, we find a rest that satisfies our souls and empowers our lives.
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