Psalm 110: 1-2 The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”  The Lord sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your enemies!

In reading and RE-reading the above verses, I noticed 4 verbs.  Two are actions the Father does – He says and He sends.  Two are commands He gives to Jesus – SIT and RULE.

What struck me is the unlikely setting – ‘in the midst of your enemies.‘

How can one sit, which communicates rest, and rule, which implies being in charge, while enemies are all around? Personal enemies (Jesus’) to boot!

Pondering new thoughts about the Son reminded me of His call to the weary crowds:

Matthew 11:28-30 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.

Here the ‘enemies’ are one’s own plan and autonomous path.  Jesus offers the gift of REST, but the circumstances He extends include a different yoke and a different burden.

What both passages have in common is that ENEMIES, BURDENS, HARD WORK don’t exclude REST and Jesus’ RULING.

These whiffs of Promised EASE in the fight, in the burden-bearing feel soothing.

Like each of you, Mike and I are suffering with customized circumstances that God calls ‘good’.  No surprise there.  We suffer because ever since the Garden fiasco the world has been disordered. We suffer because we are sinful. We suffer because we have an enemy who commands 1/3 of the spiritual forces in the universe.

For years, I have succumbed to the temptation of believing, of striving, of hoping and praying for THIS condition or THAT circumstance or THESE problems to pass from me, be resolved or be removed.  So that ‘life could get back to normal’, that is, so that I could be comfortable and at peace.

Age brings perspective.  I now see that suffering is the norm.  Problems are to be expected in this body and on this yet-to-be-restored earth. Yet, there IS a Red-Letter Day in history when Satan’s evil terrors will come to an end. His time bomb has been ticking, ever since the Cross.

Still, I find it hard to hold on to this SURE bright future in such a way as to FEEL sustained and content day to day.

That’s why the reminder that Jesus is ruling from a position of rest while enemies attack, deceive and kill refreshes and reassures me.

Jesus says and shows through His Word that REAL Rest IS possible IN chaos.

How so?

Look at His earthly vocation as a tool maker.

The idea from Psalm 110:1 of ‘the footstool being made out of Jesus’ enemies’ suggests to me that there is a good purpose for the time it takes until this ‘piece of furniture’ has been fashioned.

Furthermore, Master Carpenter Jesus has crafted and HIMSELF dons a yoke, the yoke-shaped Scepter of Divine Ruler, according to His Father’s command.  As He rules and labors, from Heaven, while seated, He calls out to us: Come, put down your painful, NON-productive yoke, and join me.  I’ll tailor it to your shoulders.  I promise you….

……..REST!

Daily work continues and is often painful and problem-filled as the Holy Spirit of Jesus leads us in HIS paths of righteous for HIS name’s sake. But Jesus has given us a couple of promises to make our days more bearable:

  • He has something to teach us that will help ease the suffering.
  • He is gentle and understanding.
  • His yoke is USEFUL and GOOD (what the term ‘easy’ means)
  • Our individual LOAD (what the term ‘burden’ means) is light because He shoulders the bulk.

In other words:

  • swapping our self-directed purposes and goals for His guaranteed successful meaningful work
  • knowing that what we do as we walk with Him at His pace in HIS direction makes a difference
  • His bearing the greater responsibility and load in this Yoke
  • knowing that He understands our temptations and struggles

All these give rest for our souls.

So, let’s take a deep breath and thank God in His wisdom that baffles human understanding. He absolutely does know what He is doing. Marvel that He chooses to walk WITH us, supernaturally fastened to us.  We in Him and He in us.