What Kind of Rest Are You Taking?

Hebrews 4:1-11

¹ Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. ^2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. ^3 For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: “So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest,’” although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. ^4 For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works;” ^5 and again in this place:  “They shall not enter My rest.” ^6 Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience, ^7 again He designates a certain day, saying in David, “Today,” after such a long time, as it has been said: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts.” ^8 For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. ^9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. ^10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. ^11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.

In our bustling lives, we often find that we have too little energy and/or too little time to glorify God through our personal worship, ministry, evangelism, discipleship, and fellowship with other Christians. Many of us do not know of the rest that God has prepared and promised to the people of God (Matt. 11:28-29; Heb. 4:9). The reason for this is because we all to often, like the Israelites spoken of in the above passage, have hardened our hearts and chosen activites of personal recreation over the rest that God offers us. And we wonder why we are either too "busy" or too "tired" to do what is expected of us! It is because we haven't entered into His rest. He has said to us, "Be still and know that I am God" (Ps. 46:10). In His rest we find the necessary amount of time and energy to serve Him. God's rest isn't laziness brought on by the distress of keeping busy with the things of God; instead it is a supernatural and spiritual refreshing for those who delight themselves in the God of all things.