Ceased From My Work
Key Thought | True rest is not the absence of activity, It’s the presence of trust. When we fully trust God, we can rest from striving in our own strength and begin to work from His.
Key Scripture | “There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.” — Hebrews 4:9–10 NKJV
Am I the only one who gets tired and exhausted? I certainly hope not. Between raising kids, pastoring a church, and a million other things, it can be hard to stay in a place of rest.
Just this morning, I could sense my heart growing anxious. So often, I’ve blamed it on the unexpected and tried to make adjustments to diminish it, only to find that the unexpected can’t really be planned for. The best I can do is expect it.
What I’ve come to realize is that anxiety is often a clear sign that I’m operating in my own strength instead of God’s. Hebrews 4:11 reminds us, “Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.”
We are meant to work from rest, not work to get to a place where we can rest. Take a moment and let that truth saturate your soul. The hardest thing to do is often to sit at Jesus’ feet and “yoke” up with Him, to adjust our priorities to His instead of inviting Him into our busyness.
So often, I want to finish everything before I rest, but I’ve learned that might be the greatest lie we’ve believed. Instead of taking Him up on His invitation to rest in Him, we invite Him to help us hustle harder.
The ability to rest is directly connected to our trust in Him. This is the work we all have: to strengthen our trust in God. The fuel of anxiety is fear, and fear is evidence that somewhere in my heart there’s a lack of trust in Him.
You might say that sounds simple, and it is. But just because it’s simple doesn’t mean it lacks truth. The enemy is masterful at deceiving us into chasing the wrong things, convincing us they’ll bring peace, when true rest can only be found in Him.
The evidence that I trust God is that I’m not leaning on my own effort.
In my younger years, I thought I knew everything, and that I needed to. Now, the older I get, the more I realize how little I truly know. There are so many questions I don’t have answers for, and sometimes people expect me to know more than I do. Dying to that expectation has been one of the hardest lessons. The truth is, people often look to others for answers that only God can give.
Part of maturing in our faith is growing in greater trust of Him. If I’m not resting, it means I’m not trusting.
Today, take a deep breath and remember: your Heavenly Father’s got it, He’s got you, and if He’s got it, then you don’t have to “got it.” Terrible English, maybe, but great theology.
Prayer | Lord, thank You for the gift of rest that comes from trusting You completely. Forgive me for the times I’ve tried to carry what was never mine to carry. Teach me to lay down my striving and anxiety and find my rest in You. Help me to trust Your plan and timing, knowing that You hold every detail of my life in Your hands. Amen.
Reflection | What areas of your life are you still trying to control instead of trusting God with? Take a moment to breathe, surrender, and allow Him to carry what you were never meant to hold.
Key Scripture | “There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.” — Hebrews 4:9–10 NKJV
Am I the only one who gets tired and exhausted? I certainly hope not. Between raising kids, pastoring a church, and a million other things, it can be hard to stay in a place of rest.
Just this morning, I could sense my heart growing anxious. So often, I’ve blamed it on the unexpected and tried to make adjustments to diminish it, only to find that the unexpected can’t really be planned for. The best I can do is expect it.
What I’ve come to realize is that anxiety is often a clear sign that I’m operating in my own strength instead of God’s. Hebrews 4:11 reminds us, “Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.”
We are meant to work from rest, not work to get to a place where we can rest. Take a moment and let that truth saturate your soul. The hardest thing to do is often to sit at Jesus’ feet and “yoke” up with Him, to adjust our priorities to His instead of inviting Him into our busyness.
So often, I want to finish everything before I rest, but I’ve learned that might be the greatest lie we’ve believed. Instead of taking Him up on His invitation to rest in Him, we invite Him to help us hustle harder.
The ability to rest is directly connected to our trust in Him. This is the work we all have: to strengthen our trust in God. The fuel of anxiety is fear, and fear is evidence that somewhere in my heart there’s a lack of trust in Him.
You might say that sounds simple, and it is. But just because it’s simple doesn’t mean it lacks truth. The enemy is masterful at deceiving us into chasing the wrong things, convincing us they’ll bring peace, when true rest can only be found in Him.
The evidence that I trust God is that I’m not leaning on my own effort.
In my younger years, I thought I knew everything, and that I needed to. Now, the older I get, the more I realize how little I truly know. There are so many questions I don’t have answers for, and sometimes people expect me to know more than I do. Dying to that expectation has been one of the hardest lessons. The truth is, people often look to others for answers that only God can give.
Part of maturing in our faith is growing in greater trust of Him. If I’m not resting, it means I’m not trusting.
Today, take a deep breath and remember: your Heavenly Father’s got it, He’s got you, and if He’s got it, then you don’t have to “got it.” Terrible English, maybe, but great theology.
Prayer | Lord, thank You for the gift of rest that comes from trusting You completely. Forgive me for the times I’ve tried to carry what was never mine to carry. Teach me to lay down my striving and anxiety and find my rest in You. Help me to trust Your plan and timing, knowing that You hold every detail of my life in Your hands. Amen.
Reflection | What areas of your life are you still trying to control instead of trusting God with? Take a moment to breathe, surrender, and allow Him to carry what you were never meant to hold.
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