Martha Olawale

“God will speak to these people, to whom he said, “This is the resting place, let the weary rest.” Isaiah 28:12-13

I feel a profound urgency for all Christians to awaken and live as God intends them to live: as warriors. Life is not just a series of tasks between waking and sleeping. Our lives have a singular purpose: to live for Jesus. He should be the reason behind all our actions and decisions. Without Him, the weight of life will rest solely on our shoulders, making it challenging to navigate. Everything we do and live for should be built on the foundation of His love, promises, grace, and truth.

The levity with which we approach each day counters the rest we seek in a perilous world. I know this because each time I feel I can sit, fold my hands, and take a deep breath because things seem to be lining up in my favor, I look at the world around me and know my rest is only in being active on the field and living for the Kingdom.

Though saved by Christ, many of us are still walking in disobedience, ignoring the principles set by God through Jesus to grow us into His likeness. Our disobedience is a blockage, barring us from entering God’s rest. Referencing the rest God promised to the children of Israel, Paul assures us in Hebrews 4:1 that “God’s promise that we may enter his place of rest still stands.” However, he further explains that God’s rest eludes us because of disobedience. He states in verse 6, “Therefore since it still remains for some to enter that rest, and since those who formerly had the good news proclaimed to them did not go in because of their disobedience.”

The place of rest is the place of obedience, a place of surrender where God and only God dictate our lives' paths. It’s a place where the cross of Christ remains the most significant solemn reminder that He gave it all so we could live free of sin in honor of God, not so we could continue in filth but submit to the Lordship of Christ to clean us up, through the washing of the Word of God.

My weary heart always finds rest when I allow God to lead me on the eternal path and teach me to walk life's journey, not for my sake but for Christ’s. I am fully sold out to God and want all I do in this life to count for Heaven’s sake. How I live daily should reflect who I live for. While still undergoing a complete overhaul, my soul has already found that the secret to its rest is in God.

A promise is a guarantee when it’s from God, but accepting it is not. God promised the Messiah (Isaiah 9:6-8), but we need to accept Him to be saved. The Israelites, like us, received a promise of rest, but it’s on us to hone the responsibilities of living surrendered to enjoy God’s rest.