Rest for Your Weary HeartSample

Rest Is a Gift from God's Heart

Rest is not laziness, not a lack of responsibility or willingness to do a part. It is a gift from a loving God’s heart.

We see this thread all through Scripture. In Genesis, just after creation, God rested as a model for us. He brought his people out of striving in Egypt to the promised land of Canaan, which means “the resting place.”

He is the Shepherd in Psalms who makes us lie down in green pastures, leads us beside still waters, and restores our souls. In the Gospels, Jesus offers rest to those who are weary and burdened. And at the end of time, “there remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God” (Hebrews 4:9). Rest has always been and will always be part of God’s desire and design for us.

In our world, we often define rest narrowly. We can see it as simply stopping our work. But to God it is so much more. Rest is a state of peace and security. Yes, sometimes it is an actual, tangible pause, but it is also a way of living differently no matter what we’re doing.

I’ve stared at the ceiling in the night, completely still, but not rested because worries paraded through my mind. I’ve been in the middle of a busy day and felt inexplicable peace despite my schedule. Rest is about more than just our level of activity; it’s a reflection of what’s happening in our hearts.

We can live in rest today because we live in God’s love always, from our quietest moments to our busiest days.

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