“But those who trust in the Eternal One will regain their strength.
    They will soar on wings as eagles.
They will run—never winded, never weary.
    They will walk—never tired, never faint.” (Isaiah 40:31/The Voice)

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (Matthew 11:28-30/Message)

I love the ‘resting’ scriptures from Isaiah and Matthew. Oh when we learn to actually rest in Him! When we feel burdened from either the world, from trying to live for Him or weary in ministry, we should see the red flag waving at us, telling us we are trying to do things in ourselves, in our own strength. His burden is light. He already accomplished everything for us! We just have to walk out the victory.

This may not be the best comparison but I will use it anyways. Many times I record the football games of my favorite teams when I know I’m going to be out that day busy, so I can come home and watch that evening. Well I try to keep away from the scores that day so it’s like I’m watching live, not knowing the outcome. Of course, there is much tension involved in watching live because you teeter on the edge of every play not knowing if your team will win or not. Sometimes though, I will find out the score accidentally and know my team already won. Well because I’m a hardcore Miami Hurricanes fan, I still want to watch the game even if I know the outcome of the game. Well if I know they won the game, I watch it with an ease, regardless of how the game may seem to be going, because I already know the finished outcome. There is still some suspense though, especially when they seem to he losing because I start to wonder how they will pull it out-again, because I already the know the final score. The game is still fun to watch but I watch with the comfort of knowing they win.

Isn’t this the same way we should approach our Christian walk? We know the outcome of the game – we know Christ reigns supreme and we will sit with him eternally to sup at His table but, although we know the outcome, we don’t always know how the game will be played out. We know we win but there is still the suspense in discovering how we will win certain battles in our life and how the Lord brings us through. But what ease and anticipation we still have…knowing we WIN!!

Oh brothers, let us rest in what Jesus has already done for us! Let us rest from our striving daily trying to work out our religious goals, instead relaxing in our relationship position with Christ. He has already done for us all that needs to be done. He was the perfect man, fulfilling the law’s requirements to perfection, achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs the temporal trials we face in this life. He IS OUR REST!! He IS our righteousness. We don’t strive to be righteous. We take on His righteousness as our own, not by our works and striving to be holy but simply by our FAITH in who He is and what He did for us!!!

“There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.” (Hebrews 4:9-11/NIV)