Rest

Hebrews 4-Part 1
There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.   Hebrews 4:11


LET IT GLOW

After a hard day at work, on my feet, bending over desks,  I looked forward to a quiet evening of rest and relaxation. Even though walking through the door at home may have meant a quiet haven, with kids doing homework or playing outside, it didn't mean rest for me. There was supper to fix, dishes to wash, laundry to do, straightening up the house, papers to grade, lessons to prepare for the next day. Need I continue?
You may be in that position now, but I have walked through it and survived. So can you.

Did you notice that the word rest appeared a lot in chapter 4? I counted 8 in just verses 1-11 only. So it must have been an important point the author wanted to get across to his readers.
There are different kinds of rest mentioned:

• God's rest (verse 1,5)
• promised rest (verse 1)
• Sabbath rest (verse 4,9)
• heavenly rest (verse 10)
• eternal rest (verse 3)
• spiritual rest-salvation rest and submission rest
• invitational rest (verse 5)
• Jesus' rest (verse 8)
• Canaan's rest (verses 11-13)

The sound of rest is rather appealing, isn't it?
I must mention Jesus' words in Matthew 11:28-30: Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Why do I look elsewhere for rest? Jesus has a handful in His extended arm, waiting to open it and freely give it to me. It's called grace, that undeserved gift given in love.


LET IT GROW

For all who have entered into God's rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. So let us do our best to enter that rest. Hebrews 4:10-11a NLT

Liberty Bible Commentary explains it this way:

Rest involves more than mere inactivity. It is that which follows the satisfactory completion of a task.
Salvation rest is the gift reckoned to the belever resulting from Christ's finished work. Heaven and millennial rest is the reward of the believer's labors for the Lord (Rev. 14:13). Do not miss through unbelief what God has promised.

Sarah Young wrote in her devotional book, Jesus Calling, "My security rests in Jesus alone-not in other people, not in circumstances."

Am I resting in Jesus now? In heaven, we will rest from our labors on earth. Are we ready to go? Today? To enter that rest. Not only from our work, but from our trials and troubles, and evil people. Now that will be rest for me. And to think it will be forever. Yes, that's heaven, I say. How about you? What will be heavenly for you ? From what do you need rest now? Jesus has His hand ready to open it to you, for the asking.

Hey, I better get busy working for Jesus while I have time. Time is fleeting quickly. It will soon be over.


LET IT GO

Don't rest too soon, keep working for Jesus now.

Remember, my future rest is coming.