Come Rest with Me by Bryan R. Coupland
Coupland, Bryan R. Come Rest with Me: Experiencing Intimacy with Jesus Through God’s Rest. Xulon Press, 2009. 192 pp. Purchase at Amazon.
Introduction
Bryan Coupland and his wife, Del, are missionaries with New Tribe Missions where they currently serve as Member Care Facilitators. I have reviewed a devotional written by Bryan Coupland entitled Growing a Wise Family. both Bryan and his wife, Del, now live in Florida after having served many years as a missionary and a veterinarian.
Summary
Divided into thirteen quick chapters complete with study questions at the end of each, Come Rest with Me takes a look at how the believer can truly find rest in Christ. Bryan, having traveled the path of depression and not being rested in the midst of working for the Lord writes from his own experience and, more importantly, the perspective offered by the Bible on what it means to rest. He uses real life stories and his own failings to explain why we often fail to live the abundant life God has for us (and that is not a prosperity gospel claim, this true principle is found in John 10:10 with an already/not yet understanding).
The final two chapters offer the reader great hope in this world of trials and tribulations. Bryan directs our attention to Christ who alone is our hope of glory. He also discusses how we can find God’s rest in the furnace of the trials that are sure to abound in life.
Review
Perhaps the only critique of Come Rest with Me is the heavy use of the Scofield reference notes. That is not because of the theology of Scofield per se (this is not the place to necessary discuss that), rather, it is because we can sometimes elevate study notes to the level of the word of God. This is always a caution and one particular reason I rarely read in my daily readings from a study bible.
That being said, Coupland does a wonderful job of getting down to the issues without by-passing important concepts and texts in the Scriptures. His thoughts are very practical and will be a great aid to those who are ragged from constantly being on the go whether it be ministry or just plain life.
Recommendation
Come Rest with Me is a nice treatise on the abiding faithfulness of God through His son, Jesus Christ during the times of chaos and life. If you are looking to understand the importance of biblical rest in today’s culture, you would be well served to start your study (after the Bible) right here.















Recent Comments