Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders." Deuteronomy 33:12 NIV
This song comes from a place of frustration, believe it or not - it's so upbeat and positive. I was frustrated with feeling like I couldn't handle everything life was throwing at me, and I was overwhelmed. God made me aware that I was trying to do everything myself, and I began to sense Him drawing me toward surrendering everything (my plans, my hopes, my fears) to Him.
Even though this idea of rest and letting go still keeps coming back again and again to me, I feel that each time God brings the lesson up, it's in a new area of life, or it's at a deeper level. It's a tough lesson, but bottom line, God is Love, and Love has got to be the best place ever to rest.
This song came out as a kind of celebration of the realization that I could just lay it all down, give it all to God. It's so simple - just let go of my ideas and plans of how things should be. There is so much freedom there! So the first verse conveys that idea of surrender - take my heart (my emotions, my hopes and dreams, my fears, my love for God and for others), take my will (my plans, my goals, my desire for control), and help me rest in God, sink into that love. And then I pray that I would look to God first (help me seek your face), trusting that all these things would be added to me afterward (Matt 6:33), but whatever happens, my heart will praise God for His love (tune my heart to sing praise).
Then the chorus is just praising him. 'Hallelujah' means 'Praise the Lord', and 'Amen' is an affirmation - like a strong 'yes' or 'may it be so'. I used Bless the Lord, my soul (straight from the Psalms -like Psalm 103, for example) because sometimes we have to talk to ourselves to remind ourselves to do it. And sometimes we have to repeat it to ourselves and others - let me say it again. But just keep praising him!
The second verse talks about lies. Voices that tell us we're alone, and unloved. Those voices, wherever they come from, can make it very hard to rest, because if we listen to them, and believe them, we must always be striving. We must be more, do more, get more. But when we realize whose we are, and what we mean to God, then we know that He's enough, and that we're loved. We can rest!!
The bridge is a reminder to myself of who God is to me. Just in case I was starting to doubt again - He is my rock. He is my God. He is my hope. He is my peace. He gives me freedom. He is forever. And I'm resting in Love!!