September 28

Work is Done; Rest in Him

There remains, then, a Sabbath rest for the people of God. — Heb 4:9 BSB

God has prepared a Sabbath rest, and some must enter into it. Those who first heard about it didn’t enter because of their unbelief, so that Sabbath rest still remains for God’s people. David sang of it, but Israel refused God’s rest, so he had to sing a sad song. Joshua couldn’t provide it, nor could the land of Canaan—it still waits for believers today.

So, let’s work to enter this rest. Let’s stop the tiring work of sin and self. Let’s give up relying on our own efforts, even those we might think are “very good.” Do we have such works? Even so, we must cease from them, just as God rested from His. Now, let us find peace in the finished work of our Lord Jesus. Everything is completely done; justice requires no more. Great peace is ours in Christ Jesus.

As for the work of God’s providence in our lives, the work of grace in our hearts, and the work of the Lord in others, let’s cast those burdens on the Lord and rest in Him. When the Lord gives us a yoke to bear, He does so in order that we may find rest through it. By faith, we work to enter into God’s rest, giving up any rest in our own achievements or laziness. Jesus Himself is perfect rest, and in Him, we find our complete fulfillment.