Rediscovering Rest
In the opening chapters of Genesis, we see the beauty and rhythm of God’s creation. Over six days, God shaped the heavens and the earth, filled the seas, skies, and land with life, and finally formed humanity, His masterpiece, in His own image. Then, on the seventh day, He rested—not because He was weary, but because His work was complete, perfect, and whole. This day of rest, the Sabbath, was not only a pause but a divine invitation. It was as if God were saying, “Come, dwell with Me in the fullness of what I have made for you.”
But from the very beginning, humanity has struggled to find and embrace that rest. The fall in the Garden of Eden fractured the peace between man and God, ushering in toil, hardship, and a restless striving for fulfillment. Fast forward to today, and we find ourselves consumed by a culture that glorifies work, busyness, and achievement. The world urges us to keep moving, striving, and accumulating—yet many of us feel more drained and empty than ever. Could it be that we have lost sight of the true rest God intended for us?
The True Sabbath: Rest Found in Christ
When Jesus entered the world, He came to restore what was broken. He is the fulfillment of God’s plan to bring humanity back into the peace and rest we were created for. Jesus Himself declared, “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). In His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus achieved what we never could: He paid the debt of sin that kept us estranged from God and opened the way for us to dwell with Him forever.
Through His sacrifice, Jesus accomplished the ultimate work of salvation. When He cried, “It is finished” (John 19:30) from the cross, it wasn’t just the end of His suffering—it was the completion of everything necessary for humanity to find true rest in God. His resurrection three days later proved that death and sin had been defeated, and through Him, we are invited into new life—a life marked by peace and communion with the Father.
Shifting Our Focus: Rest as a Way of Life
The question we must ask ourselves is this: Are we living in the peace and rest Jesus offers, or are we caught in the endless cycle of worldly striving? God designed work to be a good and meaningful part of life (Genesis 2:15), but He never intended for it to define us or consume us. Our identity and worth are not in our accomplishments but in our relationship with Him.
Jesus modeled this perfectly during His earthly ministry. Even as He worked tirelessly to heal, teach, and serve, He consistently withdrew to be alone with the Father (Luke 5:16). He understood that true strength and purpose come from abiding in God.
We, too, are called to abide. In Hebrews 4:9-10, we are reminded, “There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from His.” This rest isn’t merely about observing a day—it’s about living in the grace and peace that Jesus secured for us.
Hope for Today
The good news is that rest and peace are not distant or unattainable. Through faith in Jesus, we can experience them now. In a world that demands more and more, God invites us to pause, trust, and remember that He is enough. When we shift our focus from the work of our hands to the work of His hands—nail-scarred for our redemption—we find the rest our souls crave.
Let’s take time each day to reconnect with Him. Set aside moments to pray, read His Word, and simply sit in His presence. Let the cross remind us of the finished work of Christ, and let the empty tomb remind us of the living hope we have in Him.
In Christ, we are no longer slaves to the relentless demands of this world. Instead, we are free to live as sons and daughters of God, resting in His love and grace. As we do, we become a reflection of His peace to a restless world, pointing others to the true rest that is found only in Him.
So, as we embrace the work God calls us to, may we never forget the seventh day—the day of rest. May our lives be a testimony to the peace and restoration found in Jesus, and may we look forward with hope to the eternal rest that awaits us in His presence.