Rest is a Reality
In Hebrews 4:9, the author offers a reassurance of hope: "There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God." The author is referring to more than just observing a specific day of the week. It's about a spiritual inward peace and wholeness with God, not depending on external circumstances.
Through faith and trust in God, we can find a deep and lasting rest for our souls, reminding us of the eternal rest to come. This Sabbath-rest serves as a precursor—a promise that concludes in a future, perfect rest (Revelation 14:13). The rest we get to experience here is only a shadow, and what we hope for is the reality (Colossians 2:17).
Sabbath-rest isn't earned. It’s a gift God offers to all who seek Him.
As you contemplate Hebrews 4:9, consider: What it would look like for you to fully enter God's rest in your daily life. How can you practice releasing your burdens and anxieties?
The promise of Sabbath-rest is not just a concept. It's a reality for those who walk faithfully with God.
“And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, ...
Fulfillment of God’s Promises
Hundreds of years before Jesus, the people of God were in trouble.
They were stuck in life, unable to help themselves, and perhaps beginning to doubt that God would save them. Have you ever felt the same way? If so, you might relate to the original audience of this verse—the exiles in Babylon.
The Babylonians conquered God's people and land, sending them hundreds of miles away. Maybe they thought that God had abandoned them, or that He couldn’t hear their cries. But God is always close—especially when His people call on His name.
Isaiah let his people know that God would provide a way out of Babylonian captivity. And God kept His promise, allowing His people to return home.
Generations later, many of God’s people saw themselves as being in a new exile. They were home, but all was not well. So they remembered this verse and its promise—that no matter how dark or desperate our situation might be, God is able to provide a path out of brokenness, ...