Entering God's Rest
- Baptist Daily Devotional
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
Rev. Tetteh Annor-Larbi | April 19 2025 | Hebrews 4:1-16
KEY VERSE: “Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.” Hebrews 4:11 (NIV)
MESSAGE:
Holy Saturday marks a quiet moment between sorrow and glory. The cross is behind us, the resurrection ahead. Today invites us to linger in stillness and reflect deeply on what it means to wait in faith. Hebrews 4 speaks into this waiting: God’s rest remains available - but it must be entered through faith, obedience, and surrender.
Just as the Israelites missed God’s rest due to unbelief, we too risk forfeiting peace when doubt, sin, or complacency cloud our hearts. Holy Saturday challenges us to trust God even when everything seems silent. Jesus, having completed the work of salvation on the cross, now rests in the tomb. But this rest is not the end - it is preparation for resurrection.
This passage also calls us to open our hearts to God’s living Word. “Sharper than any double-edged sword” (Hebrews 4:12), it reveals and refines, drawing us closer to His purpose. Lent has helped us lay things down, but today we ask: Have we allowed His Word to search us deeply?
Finally, we are reminded of our compassionate High Priest - Jesus. He understands waiting, sorrow, and the silence that follows. Because of His sacrifice, we are never alone. We can approach God’s throne with confidence and receive mercy and grace, even in the waiting.
FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE:
Holy Saturday is a time to rest in trust. Make time to be still before God. Let His Word speak. Let Jesus, your High Priest, carry your burdens. Do not rush ahead—stay present, knowing resurrection is near.
PRAYER:
Lord, on this Holy Saturday, help me wait in trust. Teach me to rest in Your finished work and draw strength from Your Word. Search me and shape me as I linger in Your presence. Thank You for Jesus, my High Priest, whose death paved the way for me to experience Your grace and mercy. Amen.
THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING.
SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!
The 365 DAILY BIBLE READING Day 109: Joshua 9-10 - The Gibeonite Deception and the Sun Stands Still
DAILY word study: REST The Greek word for rest in Hebrews 4 is "κατάπαυσις" (katapausis), meaning “a cessation, a calming, or settling down.” It conveys a final, divine rest - distinct from human rest- a deep communion with God. Hebrews 4 speaks of God’s rest not just as physical relief but spiritual fulfilment. It draws from Israel’s failure to enter Canaan due to unbelief (Psalm 95). That historical example is reinterpreted: God’s rest remains open to all who believe and obey. For the early church, rest wasn’t about escape - it was a promise of restoration through Jesus, our great High Priest. This “rest” is both present (inner peace) and future (eternal hope). Reflection:
Holy Saturday invites us to enter that rest, not by striving, but by trusting. It’s a place of stillness and surrender, where our confidence rests in the finished work of Christ.
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