LEARNING DAILY

 

Genesis 2:2, And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.

 

Hebrews 4:9-10, There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.  For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his work as God did from His.

 

The basic meaning of rest is “cease”; God ceased His creative work on the seventh day.  He is not creating any new galaxies or universes.  He was not tired; He was done.  This rest was an example for us to rest or cease for our work spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental well-being.  The importance of keeping the Sabbath rest was to prevent fatigue spiritually and physically.  It helps each of us to be renewed regularly.  Fatigue causes us to lose our creative edge and become less productive in every aspect of life.  God knew it was so important to rest from our labor that He made it one of His Commandments.

 

God’s promised rest is both an earthly rest and an eternal rest.  It is a rest that is based in our faith and obedience to Jesus Christ.  We must persevere in our faith and that requires each of us to continue to draw near to God through Christ.  It is only those who have believed the saving message of Jesus’ death and resurrection that enter God’s spiritual rest.  He takes our burdens and our sins and gives the “rest” found in forgiveness.  While on earth, in this earthly body, the “rest” we experience is only partial.  We are in constant battle with our flesh, the temptations of the world, and whatever the devil throws at us. 

 

For believers who know the rest and peace through faith, there is an eternal rest.  Read Hebrews 11 to be reminded of those who placed their trust in God in all the circumstances they faced, persevering and remaining loyal to God and His Word.  Their reward was eternal rest.  For each of us today who are doing this as well, we can look forward to the day that we can cease from our labors, from all the things that cause us to worry and all trials we face.  Instead, we can participate in God’s rest and experience unending joy, peace, and love with God and all the redeemed saints.  It will be God’s seventh day of rest and it will never end.

  

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