Rest for the Weary – a Hebrews 4 Story
Rachel sat on the couch in tears, feeling utterly exhausted. She had been working tirelessly for weeks, trying to catch up on her workload. Her boss had given her a deadline that seemed impossible to meet, and Rachel had been burning the midnight oil every night to make it happen. Every morning she woke up feeling even more drained than the day before.
She had heard about a new coffee shop that had opened up nearby, and decided to take a break to try it out. As she walked in, she noticed a kind-looking lady sitting at a table with a Bible open in front of her. Rachel grabbed her coffee and sat down at a nearby table. The lady smiled at her and said, "Are you feeling tired, my dear?"
Rachel was taken aback. She didn’t know this lady, but it was as if she had read her mind. Rachel nodded and began to share her story. The lady listened patiently and then said, "Have you heard of Hebrews 4?"
Rachel shook her head. The lady turned to the passage in her Bible and began to read, "So then, 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. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience."
Rachel realized that she had been so caught up in her work that she had forgotten to rest. She had been striving in her own strength, but had not entered into God’s rest. The lady encouraged Rachel to take a break and spend some time with God. Rachel took the advice and went home to rest.
The next day, Rachel woke up feeling refreshed and energized. She spent some time in prayer and reading her Bible, and then went to work. She found that she was able to work more efficiently and effectively than she had been before. She was able to meet her deadline with time to spare.
Rachel realized that true rest comes from God. When we enter into His rest, we are able to do more than we could ever do in our own strength. We are able to accomplish the impossible because we are relying on Him. Rachel learned to trust in God’s strength and not her own.
Hebrews 4:11 says, "Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience." Rachel had learned the importance of striving to enter into God’s rest. She knew that it was not something that would come easily, but it was worth striving for. She was grateful for the kind lady at the coffee shop who had shared this truth with her. She knew that she would never forget the lesson she had learned.