7 Encouraging Bible Verses about Rest
As believers, we often strive to glorify God through our earthly work, putting in our best effort. But did you know that learning to rest at the right time is also a way to honor Him? That’s right! While God does encourage us to work hard, He also wants us to rest in His peace and find renewal for our souls when needed. Here are 7 encouraging Bible verses about rest to remind you of its importance.
1. Matthew 11:28
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
Reflection: In the midst of our busy lives, Jesus offers us a profound gift: rest. He invites us to come to him with our burdens and weariness, promising to give us true peace and spiritual renewal.
Yes, there will always be busy periods and new concerns in life. This is inevitable. However, when we truly welcome Christ into our lives, and desire to walk in His teachings, we discover a supernatural lightness and ease that we cannot find anywhere else but with God.
Christ assures us that, no matter the shifting circumstances and challenges, He is the true source of our joy and enduring rest. Nothing else compares.
Here is a song to remind you to do this!
2. Genesis 2:2-3
“By the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on the seventh day He rested from all His work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it He rested from all the work of creating that He had done.”
Reflection: Let’s take a bigger perspective on things. Even God – the Creator of all the universe – deemed it good to take some rest. This ultimately teaches us that rest is not just a luxury or a mere option – but is rather a natural, in-built part of living well.
So, the next time you’re tempted to overwork yourself or pile on more stresses – remember, rest matters. Take a time-out to recharge our batteries as you reconnect with God and with others.
In short, let’s follow God’s example and allocate the right amount of rest into our lives.
3. Psalm 23:1-2
“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul.”
Reflection: Just as a shepherd cares for his sheep, God cares for us. He provides and gives us rest and peace when we most need it. He knows exactly when we are weary and long to be spiritually refreshed by His love and presence.
Knowing this, instead of chasing endless work hours or stressing out, take a breather. Turn to God, trust in His rhythm for your life, and achieve a work-rest balance that honors Him as well as upkeeps your well-being, peace, and contentment.
4. Exodus 20:8-10
“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns.”
While modern Christians may not observe the Sabbath in the same traditional way as the Israelites of the Bible, the principle of rest remains timeless and deeply relevant.
Again, as part of God’s design for life, we absolutely need time to rest to replenish our energies. The world can be a demanding place, and it’s easy to get caught up in its relentless pace. But taking the time to unwind can help us to slow down and stay aligned with God’s will.
5. Isaiah 40:29
“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.”
Reflection: This powerful verse is a beautiful reminder that, no matter how tired or overwhelmed we may feel sometimes, God is always there to give us true rest. He doesn’t expect us to carry our burdens alone.
Just as the rising sun brings a new dawn each day, God can renew our strength and give us the power to renew our spiritual well-being. But it begins with us choosing to make time to turn to Him, devoting both our work and rest in honor of our Lord.
6. Hebrews 4:9-11
“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 fall by following the same example of disobedience.”
Reflection: Just like the Israelites were promised a physical land of rest, we are promised a spiritual haven of rest in God’s presence.
This isn’t just any ordinary rest; it’s a profound state of peace and renewal found through connecting with our Creator. This relational bond can be nurtured through various practices like prayer, reading the Bible, or God-centered Christian meditation, among other spirit-led commitments.
By resting in God, we also demonstrate our willingness to trust His wisdom, allowing Him to shape our work-rest balance. This shift also signifies a move away from self-reliance towards acknowledging our need for God’s grace amid His kingdom plans.
7. Matthew 6:25-27
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”
In our hurried world, worry and anxieties often fill our minds, leaving us restless.
However, Jesus reminds us that fretting over the future steals our peace. He assures us, just like God cares for the birds, our Father in heaven will provide for us – when we learn to prioritize and trust Him.
To be clear, this isn’t about abandoning all our earthly responsibilities. Rather, it’s about seeking God’s will in all that we do here and trusting that He is ultimately in control. When we do that, we gradually release our worries. We find spiritual rest in His sovereignty, whether we are carrying out work or simply unwinding.
In short, all these Bible verses about rest teach us a key lesson. It is important for us to choose to trust God, prioritize His kingdom, and in turn, discover a kind of enduring rest that permeates all of the life He has given us.
