A Foretaste Of Heavenly Rest

We can sum up the benefits of linking up with Jesus through a daily and a weekly encounter in one word—rest. The word “Sabbath” comes from a Hebrew word that means rest, so it’s not surprising that the Scripture calls the seventh day “a Sabbath of rest” (Leviticus 23:3). It serves as a foretaste of the perfect rest we’ll experience in heaven.

“[God] has spoken about the seventh day in these words: ‘And on the seventh day God rested from all his work.’ . . . THERE REMAINS, THEN, A SABBATH-REST FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest.”
—Hebrews 4:4, 9-11.

Experiencing “Sabbath-rest” gives us a weekly hint of the joy we will experience in the eternal rest of heaven. This rest isn’t just inactivity, it refers to the sense of security, peace and well-being that lie at the root of the truly abundant life. This kind of spiritual rest can be appreciated only through experience, and the testimony of those who have experienced salvation-rest and Sabbath-rest is universal: If you enter into the rest of Jesus through a daily and weekly connection with Him, you will discover the greatest joy in life.

Our Lord Himself gave us the Sabbath at creation. It was not given to the Jews, but to the entire human race, two thousand years before there was a Jewish people. Jesus “blessed” and “sanctified” the Sabbath. It is a special day set aside by God for renewing our spiritual life. It is part of His Ten Commandment law. God said “remember,” but most of the world has forgotten. Would you like to thank Jesus for His gift of rest?

Would you like to tell Him you desire to keep His Sabbath each week? Would you like to say, “Yes Lord! I desire to find delight in the day You have established.” Why not make that commitment right now:

Dear Heavenly Father: I thank You for the promise of salvation-rest each day to meet the challenges of life, and for the promise of Sabbath-rest each week to cement my relationship with You. I thank You for the promise of power from above to change my heart and give me right desires and motives. Please make me loyal to the Saviour, who gave up everything so I could experience life in all its fullness. Make me responsive to Your will. Help me always to welcome the opportunity to experience heavenly rest. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

[You may be wondering: Who changed the Sabbath from Saturday, the seventh day of the week, to Sunday, the first day of the week? When was the change made? Did God authorize the change? These questions will be answered in guide 21.]