“Blessed be the LORD who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised. Not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke by Moses his servant.” 1 Kings 8:56
These days rest is hard to come by. Days are filled with packed schedules. Lives are hectic and busy. Families are always on the go. Especially during the holiday season, rest seems to evade most of us. Physical rest is needed. Without it our bodies become weak and susceptible to sickness. Avoiding rest effects everyone negatively. How we feel when we are tired, the emotions and thoughts that are stirred, reveal the need to stop and recharge. No one can keep going indefinitely in our own ability.
For the believer, while we need sleep and we recharge our bodies, our true rest is not in the absence of activity but in the One who secures eternal salvation for his people. Jesus is our sanctuary from the craziness of the day. He is our refuge from depleted strength and besieged hope. He renews the soul and steadies the heart.
The promise of Christ is not only a future promise for salvation, he is a promise for you today. God gives rest to his people according to his Word. He provides the sustenance needed for you today. He is always working for you and in you for your good. You do not need to keep working for acceptance, striving for fulfillment, or look for meaning. Rest in Christ. Have peace in him. Take refuge in Christ from the endless goal of self-sufficiency.
A pillow is good for the night. Enjoy the blessing of sleep. Do not neglect physical rest. For God rested on the seventh day and made us to rest weekly. But more urgently, and of greater importance, stay and linger in the peaceful dwelling of Christ.
God has always given rest to his people. He gives rest that no one and nothing else can. Bless the LORD who gives rest to his people in Christ Jesus. His rest lasts. So, rest in him.