Jesus extends this comforting invitation:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28).

These words seem so straightforward—just trust in Jesus. “I’ve already trusted Jesus for my salvation,” you answer. Yet, when anxious thoughts grip a believer, trusting feels anything but simple. But the Bible offers more than just this one insight on finding rest or peace in the Lord in the midst of trouble.

Resting in the Lord isn’t passive or automatic, especially during crises. We often picture rest as being still or simply leaving our burdens at Jesus’ feet. Yet, Scripture teaches that to truly rest in the Lord during trials, we first need to cast all our worries on God, trusting that He cares deeply for us (1 Peter 5:7).

Before we can find rest in Him, we must first know who He is and trust in His character and promises. Before we can rest, we need to first have a living faith like the Egyptian midwives, who feared God more than they feared Pharaoh. Before we can find rest and peace, we must first entrust ourselves and our loved ones to the Lord of heaven and earth, whom we know to be sovereign, wise, good, just, and holy. But how can we trust the Lord without knowing Him? And how can we know Him without immersing ourselves in Scripture?

The Bible is an indispensable way that God ministers to us when troubles assail us from every side.

Here are four places where I regularly find rest in the turmoil of life.

  1. The Psalms and Prophets.

The Psalms and Prophets are filled with prayers that help us express our emotions, worship, and seek God in our need. If we are to follow God’s prescription for anxiety, and thereby experience the peace of God and the God of peace described in Philippians 4:6-7, the Psalms provide the perfect model for praying about everything, asking God for what we need, and thanking Him for what He has done.

For example, Psalm 139 is a powerful prayer when facing anxious thoughts about the future. It reminds us that God knows, God sees, and God cares for us personally and individually. From before birth, He authored the days of our lives:

In his time of distress, David prayed, “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” (Psalm 139:16)

This Psalm is a prayer we can make our own, declaring that God is in control and our days are in His hands. Knowing that God is a personal God– all-seeing, all-knowing, all-powerful, and present everywhere– puts anxiety to rest.

The Psalms help us re-align our anxious minds with God’s reality, so we can trust in what is unseen, rather than be overcome by what is seen.

Psalm 27 reminds us that the Lord is our light, our salvation, our stronghold, our shelter, our rock. These are powerful visual symbols of God’s character. They help us regain perspective when our problems seem insurmountable, teaching us to seek safety in God’s presence, rather than just comfort or relief.

Psalm 27 also gives us specific words to pray in these moments of crisis:
“Hear my voice… Be merciful… Answer me… Do not hide your face… Do not turn away… Teach me your ways… Lead me in a straight path… Do not hand me over to my enemies.” (Psalm 27:7-12)

The end of Psalm 27 gives us the bedrock for confidence:

“I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living!
14 Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord!” (Psalm 27:13-14).

This is what we need most of all when anxious thoughts grip us: To declare our confidence in the Lord’s goodness. To be strong and courageous in the Lord. To wait for the Lord. To rest in his provision and justice. In waiting we find rest.

Here are some more words from King David and the prophet Isaiah that give me rest when tempted with anxiety:

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul.” (Psalm 23)

 

  1. God’s promises.

Psalm 91 has been a treasury of God’s promises to me. David declares:

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”

This Psalm promises rest and refuge to God’s people amidst real threats. David doesn’t minimise these threats, but describes them vividly: Night terrors, arrows by day, pestilence stalking us in darkness and plague at midday. But the promise of rest and refuge is conditional: If we make the Most High our dwelling place…then God will rescue us because of his great love for us; He will protect us because we acknowledge his name; He will answer our cries when we call upon Him; He will be with us in trouble; He will deliver and honour us; He will satisfy us and show us his salvation.

The conclusion of Psalm 91 is this: God promises to watch over those who actively put their trust in Him, especially in times of great stress and fear. His deliverance might not always be now or instant, but He will ultimately rescue His children. In the heat of trouble, His presence is our safe home and dwelling place. Because of these promises, we don’t need to worry, fret or fear. We can find rest in the Lord’s presence.

Hebrews 13:5, Philippians 4:19 and Romans 8:38-39, are also promises worth banking, to enable us to rest in and through trials.

  1. Biblical Narratives

The stories of real people in the Bible are not just historical accounts or myths— Paul says that the Old Testament stories were written down as examples for us, to warn us, and to help us in our own temptations and testings. (1 Corinthians 10:11.) Provided that we read them in context, biblical narratives are recorded to guide us through our own struggles and ultimately to lead us to Jesus.

For example, in 2 Chronicles 20, King Jehoshaphat faced a terrifying enemy invasion. In great fear, he gathered the people together to seek help from the Lord. His prayer is a wonderful example of how to acknowledge our weakness and God’s strength. It’s a cry for help when you feel completely powerless. It ends like this:

“O God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do…but our eyes are upon you. All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the Lord. Their eyes were on the Lord.”

“We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” Aren’t those perfect words to pray to God in our time of need?

God responded to Jehoshaphat, “Do not be afraid… the battle is not yours, but God’s… the Lord will be with you.” Jehoshaphat’s story teaches us five powerful lessons in crisis:

  • Seek God first.
  • Declare who God is and stand firmly on His promises.
  • Keep your eyes on the Lord, not circumstances.
  • Worship, sing, and pray with God’s people.
  • Let your crisis lead you to Christ, the Warrior King who fights for you.

The powerful Exodus narrative also reminds us that God hears our cries, remembers His promises, sees our pain, and knows our struggles (Exodus 2:23-25).

… “And the sons of Israel sighed because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry for help because of their bondage rose up to God. So God heard their groaning; and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  God saw the sons of Israel, and God took notice of them.” Note:

  1. God heard their groanings…2. God remembered his covenant with his people…3. God saw them…4. God knew them.

Don’t we also need to be assured of these four truths? The Exodus from Egypt is one of the most epic stories of deliverance, telling us why we can entrust ourselves to God’s loving care. But God sent an infinitely greater Moses, his own beloved Son to deliver us from slavery to sin. Jesus has already secured our freedom from our most dreadful enemies—sin and death. He is our ultimate Redeemer.

And because of Christ, you and I can be confident that, even as we hurt and fear, are oppressed and afflicted, laden with heavy burdens… He hears our groanings, He remembers his covenant with us, He sees our pain…He knows all about it. He is familiar with suffering. And He died on the cross to do something about it.

Here is a reality check for us to ponder as we seek rest amidst trouble:

“He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32)

4. The Words of Jesus.

Jesus not only promised to give us ultimate rest from our sin and striving, but he also showed believers how to find rest in a broken world. Jesus addressed one of the biggest causes of anxiety —fear of the future. He reminded us not to worry, but rather to focus on today, trusting our heavenly Father to provide for tomorrow.

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matt 6:25-34)

In an age of anxiety, Jesus’s words remind us to carefully choose what we focus on and take it one day at a time. Fixing our minds on what is true and right helps to keep our eyes on God’s love and care, especially when fear and anxiety threaten to overwhelm us (Philippians 4:8). It’s the way that we take captive every thought to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor 10:5). Through the pages of the Bible, Jesus speaks words of comfort and courage when we feel overwhelmed. We hear whispers of his voice, “Peace, be still!”

Anchor in the storm.

I’ve experienced this myself recently. Anxiety has been knocking at my door, desiring to master me. I wake up in the night, my heart racing, feeling gripped by panic. There are so many “what ifs” swirling in my mind, sucking me into their vortex. I won’t bore you with the details, but the source of my fear is real and potent, and I am tempted to become anxious. But God commands me to be anxious for nothing (Phil 4:6) and to cast all my anxiety on Him (1 Peter 5:7). He commands me not to fret or worry, but instead to commit my way to the Lord, to wait patiently for Him, to hope and take delight in Him (Psalm 37:1, 5-7; Matt 5:25). The Lord will never command what He cannot empower.

God is faithfully meeting me in His Word, stilling my heart day by day. It’s not an instant cure, but each day, the Bible gives me words to pray when I can’t find my own. It gives me reasons to be thankful, to delight in God, and to trust Him. My daily readings provide the sword I need to battle anxiety and the strength to face another day without being consumed by worry. Without the Bible’s anchor, I would be cast adrift at sea.

In seasons of trouble, it is in the pages of Scripture that we find rest—rest that only Christ can give. The Bible is an indispensable first aid kit that God has provided to minister to us when anxiety threatens. It is an anchor in stormy seas.

Do you know it? Do you use it? Are you finding rest in God’s word?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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