Rest in today’s day and age may mean taking a nap, watching a show, or reading a book. Biblical rest is different from the world’s version of rest.
What is Biblical rest? Biblical rest is peace in your daily life. Biblical rest comes from the Holy Spirit. It is available for Christian every day. We can receive this rest no matter what we facing. His perfect rest is available every day.
Biblical rest is different than ordinary rest. I’ll cover the differences to help you understand what biblical rest is.
What Is Biblical Rest?
Biblical rest is a very unique kind of rest. While the world may think you get to rest at the end of the day, biblical rest has to do with something else completely.
Biblical rest is present when at work, not just after work. We can have biblical rest even in the storms of life.
As a Christian, the Holy Spirit is at work in our life, when we let the Holy Spirit work in us, and when we are obedient to God and His Word, we get to experience a rest that gives us peace even in the middle of a busy day.
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Matthew 11:28,29
Jesus offers rest in Matthew, and today we have the same opportunity to participate in this rest for our souls.
The Holy Spirit is working in us, we can not do anything on our own.
Biblical rest is resting in Christ and involves the surrender of fighting for ourselves and letting the Holy Spirit work.
How To Enter Biblical Rest
Having Biblical rest is not something that everyone has, like in the title, biblical rest has a lot to do with God and his word.
Entering into this biblical rest starts with our relationship with Christ. When we are growing in our relationship with Christ we are learning to rely on Christ more than ourselves and the things of this world.
Our trust in God and how he is working in our life is key to having biblical rest, we don’t have to be in turmoil because of the situations in our life or the situations in the world, we can rest in God’s promises.
Hebrews 4 brings a lot of understanding to what biblical rest is, and one of the key components that are involved with biblical rest is obedience.
Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.
Hebrews 4:11
Our disobedience to what God says in our lives can keep us from enjoying a biblical rest. Just like the Israelites who wandered in the desert for forty-years were not able to experience this rest because of their disobedience and unbelief for what God had told them.
Entering into a biblical rest starts with being invested in God’s word regularly, and growing in your relationship with Christ through consistent prayer and worship.
Consistency is very important, it can be easy to think flipping open your Bible to read a passage for a minute or two is good enough, but growing in relationship with Christ and becoming more confident in his promises throughout scripture takes time.
Hindrances To Biblical Rest
While as Christians we all want to enter a biblical rest, our lives do not always line up with our desire to have biblical rest. We may need to evaluate how we are living, and how intentionally we are seeking after God.
If we simply have unbelief in our life towards God, that will impede the biblical rest we find through Christ.
The depth that we go into scripture will increase our knowledge. When we increase our knowledge of God’s word we will find it easier to rest in God and what he has to say.
Disobedience can be a large stumbling block as we strive to rest in God and His promises. When God tells us to do something or tells us we should turn from sin, we simply need to listen to what God has to say and obey.
Biblical rest is dependent on God. When we depend on ourselves and the things of this world, we are not going to find biblical rest, because we cannot satisfy our own needs. The world cannot satisfy our needs as God can.
God is working in our lives all the time, whether we know it or not, when we have an attitude of arrogance and do not give God the glory, we will find ourselves in turmoil again, because Christ fulfills our needs in life more than we ever can.
We cannot earn biblical rest, because it is not something you only get when you are good enough or met certain standards. Only through Lord can give us true rest.
Benefits Of Biblical Rest
Biblical rest is better than what the world has to offer us. As we read in scripture and see in the world around us, the things of this world are fleeting. It is only God who is eternal.
And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
1 John 2:17
Biblical rest comes with a peace that is only from God and is not dependent on the circumstances around us.
When looking at Scripture we read of those who do not enter God’s rest and suffer the consequences, but also those who do enter God’s rest and find joy and contentment despite their circumstances of life.
Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:11-13
Paul who had been through many trials, and wrote this while in prison, was able to be content, because he did not look to the things of this world to give him rest, but found rest in God no matter the circumstance.
Today, as we grow in our relationship with God and continue to study God’s word, we need to remember to seek rest only from God who can give us rest at all times.