Rest

A poem by Gabriel Mattix

There’s no rest here I tell you;

Keep looking; move on.

Take your pain and your sorrow;

Your night will not yet see dawn.

Take the next step;

And then one more again.

Steel yourself and brace,

For what’s round’ the next bend.

The darkness of life,

Creeps further in.

The sorrow and strife,

Make ceaseless din.

It can be hard to see,

Where shelter is found.

As we crawl and we trudge,

Across uneven ground.

As we look for refuge;

A quiet place to rest.

We’re like baby birds,

Fallen from mother’s nest.

But there is One who came,

And shared in our pains.

He came to give shelter;

By rising again.

He knows what it means,

To suffer without respite.

To fall tired; exhausted,

And broken from strife.

But once He fell,

Down He did not remain.

He conquered death;

By rising again.

His name is Jesus;

He’s Lord of all.

And He will not suffer,

His children to fall.

Stumble we may;

and struggle we might.

But our victorious King,

Will win the fight.

In fact, it’s over.

Sin’s conquered; death’s done.

And though we battle,

The war has been won.

But through this barren world we must walk,

And although we suffer horror and shock;

Our risen Lord Jesus,

will shelter and hide;

All those who trust Him,

And cling to His side.

With Jesus there’s rest, 

Safe refuge; full stores.

In Jesus the poor,

Lack shelter no more.

He will undo every wrong that’s been done.

He will make a new earth,

And we’ll reign with the Son.

So Rest in Him,

You battle weary and war torn.

Trust in Jesus,

And you will be reborn.