Father God,

Today, I pray that we would better understand the rest in Christ that You call us to both in terms of its eternal and its present implications. In a sense, we understand that faith in Christ through the working of the Spirit regenerating us unites us to Christ such that we will spend eternity in heaven worshipping Him.

While neither our Spirit directed illumination of the Word nor our imaginations have fully grasped what that joy will be like, we fall as short in understanding what rest on this earth in the already but not yet should be. So many, so often strive in our strength according to our wisdom until we are weary from our labor and wonder where the rest is.

Hebrews 4 calls us to a Sabbath rest in verse 9 and 10 that is only imaged by the earthly Sabbath. We celebrate 1 day in 7, yet we are called to a fullness of rest that cannot be contained within 1 earthly day. Only in turning our eyes upon Christ can be begin to see that fullness of rest, to begin to fathom the depths of the riches we have in Christ’s finished work. Let us not focus our eyes upon the Lord’s Day as an end in itself, but recognize that we have complete rest in Christ so that we can draw near with confidence to the throne of Grace in verse 16.

Grant that we may understand better the rest we have in Christ while still walking on this earth in our physical bodies so that we can enjoy it more fully and sing praises to the Name of Christ more heartily and deeply.

In Christ’s Name,

Amen.