Where is the Rest of my Rest?

My wife gets up with our newborn at night. I get up with my son when he needs some nighttime assistance. We go to sleep at the same time, but I get up 2 to 2 1/2 hours earlier than her, so I would guess we get about the same amount of sleep each night. (She actually gets more because our newborn is rarely awake for 2 hours during the night.) Last night I fell asleep at 11:11 pm. My son woke up at 3:05, and I have been awake since.

During my prayer time this morning I was not praying with much faith when I was thanking God for the rest He did give me. Though the words out of my mouth to my Father were ones of thankfulness. I just finished reading Hebrews Chapter 4 and there is much talk about "rest." And I thought I would share a view I hold of rest, being an "already" and "not yet" kind of rest.

The Author of the book of Hebrews is arguing in chapter 4 from the Old Testament. He is using the illustration of the Israelites entering the Promise Land. The Israelites followed Moses out of Egypt. They were headed for the Promise Land. That generation of Israelites did not enter their rest though because they did not follow and obey by faith. So God had that generation die off in the wilderness, along with Moses. Their children then entered into the Promise Land through their new leader Joshua.

Hebrews is arguing that their remains a rest for the people of God. It says in verse 8 and 9, For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Yet verse 7 seems to be emphasizing today.


In this life we get little glimmer's of the future Sabbath rest. Every time I lay my head on my pillow, cease from work, and get some rest; it is a small picture for me of the future rest to come. The 4 hours of sleep I got last night was a little rest. I do not feel very rested this morning. If I get 8 hours of sleep tonight, I will probably feel more rested. There have been times when I have been sick, and have slept for many more hours. Ideally the more sleep I would get, the more rested I would be.

So I think the "rest" the book of Hebrews is speaking of is an "already" and "not yet" sort of rest. I have rested from working to gain favor with God to earn my salvation. I have rested in the arms of Jesus, who alone saves. Yet I still strive in this life, to press forward toward my future rest in heaven.

I "already" have rest, though there remains a rest I have "not yet" obtained.