Many Types Of Rest I Choose This

2 Samuel 7:1
After the king was settled in his palace and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies around him,

2 Samuel 7:10
And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning

2 Samuel 7:11
and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies.
“‘The LORD declares to you that the LORD himself will establish a house for you:

Good News Translation (2 Sam7:1)
King David was settled in his palace, and the LORD kept him safe from all his enemies.

The Bible has many types of rest. Sabbath rest of Exodus 20:8-11 and Hebrews 4:9. Dying while believing in Jesus is also considered as rest in Revelation 14:13. Settling down in your own land free from slavery was also expected to be rest, Hebrews 4:8. That passage in Hebrews 4 also suggests that salvation is rest from sin. Mark 6:31 refers to the need for physical body rest after doing lots of work and you are now exhausted. Many types of rest but I choose the one in our text of consideration today!

I choose in the sense of I pray for it. I choose doesn’t mean I forfeit the others. I choose means I am praying for this type of rest in addition to the others. I choose means I desire this one now. Many types of rest but I choose the one in our key text today!

Our key text today takes us to a time when David had finished building his palace and he had just moved in. The Bible tells us that as he settled into his brand new palace, God gave him rest. God gave David rest from all, not some, not most, but all his enemies. What? I didn’t even know God gives this! I have been praying for money, progress, good health, etc. I didn’t know God has this product for us. That God can give rest from all enemies. Hallelujah!

I am kind of afraid of dying so I may not be quick on the death rest. But some levels of sickness and the attendant suffering makes the death rest a desirable option. I am keen on the Sabbath rest since it’s one of those biblical commands that many deliberately ignore. I enjoy physical body rest and I always need a vacation like a friend of mine who always desires a holiday after a holiday. Rest from sin into the peace of salvation is my continuous prayer and eternal desire. But this rest from all enemies, I seriously didn’t know about, now that I know, I want it urgently.

When God promises to give rest from all enemies He means all. All including the devil our chief enemy and his demons, 1 Peter 5:8 and Revelation 12:10. All including those who seek to harm us yet we never offended them. All including those we offend and they refuse to forgive and forget. All including those who are jealous. All including those who dislike us for no reason. All including those who smile at us but celebrate our misfortunes. All including those who are in our inner circle but they wish us harm. All including those who do not like our family, tribe, or even race. All including those who used to be friends but no longer are. Aren’t we glad that God can grant us rest not from some, not most, but from all our enemies?

When God grants us rest from all enemies, it means He disables the ability of all enemies to harm us. That means our God has power over all our enemies. At His will, He can disable all of them. They will keep trying to harm us but they will keep failing because we are on a break from them. A break courtesy of God. I am glad to know that God has power over all my enemies. I am glad to know that God can put my enemies out of action or render them impotent.

This also means that whatever harm my enemies inflict on me, it is allowed by God and it will eventually be in my interest. Therefore like Apostle Paul, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, I rejoice in suffering under my enemies, because when they think they are in control and they can have their way, they are wrong and are hallucinating. Whatever my enemies have done or will do, God has allowed, and therefore it is not about them, but God’s plan for my life. Therefore I don’t get intimidated by my enemies, neither will I bow to their pressure. I remain steadfast and faithful to the end. Just knowing that God can give me rest from them is comforting!

1 Corinthians 10:13, nothing can happen to me that God has not assessed and approved as ultimately good for me. It may be bitter for now. It may be painful for now. But it shall be worth celebrating as time goes by. It is happening now because God has allowed our enemies to operate in a limited way. Soon they will all be impotent as God grants me a break from them. May that rest be today Oh God!

I believe I have enjoyed rest from enemies and I didn’t know it. If our enemies had succeeded all the time they tried harming us, we would all be long gone. We are alive and thriving because frequently God has given us rest from the activities of our enemies. We have been getting rests from our enemies but we didn’t know and we didn’t thank God. Dear God, forgive us for being thankless. Thank you for the rest You have been giving us from our enemies. We are alive and thriving today because surely there must have been rest from enemies courtesy of You our God.

Isn’t it comforting to know that God has a record of all our enemies and their activities against us? When they meet He knows. When they scheme He knows. When they execute He knows. When we get shocked at what has happened God knew long before it happened and allowed it. We are safe in God!

Could I also be an enemy of someone? Could I be appearing in God’s list of His people’s enemies? When God gives people rest from their enemies, could He be targeting me? Would God give people rest by putting me out of action? Is my death the rest from enemies that someone will get? I should examine myself. It is easy to see others at fault than to see ourselves. Our transfer, our demotion, our getting fired, our losses, our sickness, could be the rest that others need. Could we be a problem in other people’s lives? When God grants people to rest from their enemies, could it be us He will deactivate, disable, and make impotent?

Forgive me God where I have been a nuisance in anyone’s life. Reconcile me to those I have troubled. For the troubles You have allowed my enemies to cause, may I rejoice that You allowed it, when Your grand plan for me unfolds and I discover it was a blessing in disguise. Grant me rest from all my enemies and make it soon, in Jesus’ name, Amen!