FAY ROWE | Author/Speaker

Jeremiah brought the word of the Lord to the children of Israel, whose shepherds had led them astray, saying about them, "They have forgotten their resting place. All who found them devoured them."

Such sad words! It wasn't that they didn't have a resting place. They had forgotten it.

The place of rest for the children of Israel was in trusting God and, in trusting, following his instructions. There was both rest and safety in that. I wonder if they had just forgotten their place of rest in the sense of neglecting it? Or had they just lost their way and couldn't find their way back?

Whichever, it is a lesson for us, as New Covenant people.

Jesus said, "Come unto me all you who are burdened and heavy laden and I will give you rest."

The writer of Hebrews said that we who have believed have entered into rest; but we fall short of it through unbelief. What is interesting is that shortly after saying those things, he adds, "he that has entered rest has ceased from his own works."

Simple isn't it? We can't be working and resting at the same time.

Maybe Jesus gives us rest because he did the work for us, in fulfilling the law and giving us the gift of righteousness.

Words worth considering: gift, righteousness, trust, enter, rest.