OUR LORD WHO GIVES US REST

A gift that we hardly ever cherish for its incredible value is the gift of rest that the Lord gives us. 

This rest is given in two forms. In the first form, the rest is given for our minds and bodies in the form of peace and sleep.  As the scriptures say in Isaiah 14 verse 3, "And it will be in the day when the Lord gives you rest from your pain and turmoil and harsh service in which you have been enslaved". In this example, the Lord is giving rest to His people who have endured physical and mental turmoil.  It should be said that this form of rest is itself a metaphor for the second form of rest.

In the second form, rest is given for our souls and our spirits. In the scriptures in Matthew 11 verse 28, Jesus says, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." In this context, rest is for those burdened by guilt and weariness of the heaviness of sin and its demands. 

The rest being offered here is that which is paid for by the Lord Jesus that those who would believe in Him have their sins washed away and the peace that passes all understanding given to them. In this rest, our souls find rest and our spirits soar in the weightlessness.  

The Lord our God grants rest to our body, soul and  spirit to those who believe and are called according to His purposes.

Amen.