Rest and Restored in His Presence

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

Recently, while doing a Bible study on practicing Sabbath rest, I was challenged and inspired to incorporate and apply the “Fourteen Minute Challenge” in my life to create margin for resting in God’s presence.

For fourteen intentional minutes each day, I set aside striving, noise, and the pressure to produce. I dedicated those few minutes to rest, pause, and reflect on God’s goodness. In that small window, something unexpected began to grow. What I thought would feel unproductive turned out to be deeply fruitful. My thoughts were settled, and I became aware of God’s grace and his presence as I reflected on all that he had done for me that week. There was more joy, more patience, and more room for gratitude. Fruit was cultivated, not by effort, but by rest.

I find myself longing for more, not out of obligation, but because I have tasted the goodness of his rest. This time taught me to resist the urge to keep going, to remember what I used to be, and to recall all that God has accomplished on my behalf. What might God cultivate in your life if you give him a consistent space to meet with you and rest?

The place of ultimate rest is found nowhere else but in an intimate relationship with God. We are made in the image of our heavenly Father, and we share an abiding need to be in close communion with him. Today’s passage is about the posture of our heart, a spiritual resting. It is the finished work of God. Through Christ, we do not have to strive but to remain in him, and choose to surrender over striving. Through resting in Christ, we will grow in deeper joy, unshakeable peace, and a greater awareness of God’s powerful presence.

Lord, thank you for inviting me into your rest. Lord, teach me and help me to intentionally step away from striving and to surrender to you. I trust you to grow and develop greater faith and fruit in my life through rest. In Jesus’s name, Amen.

Throughout this day: listen to “Be Still My Soul” by Kari Jobe