Rest Is a Person, Not a Place
Letting Christ take the wheel: Resting in the power already within.
Devotional Credit:
From His Victorious Indwelling by Nick Harrison (featuring Adolph Saphir and Andrew Murray)
Photo Credit:
Photo by Unsplash
Today’s devotional from Nick Harrison draws us into a rich distinction: God’s rest is not simply a cessation of activity—it is His very own rest, found in Himself. Adolph Saphir emphasizes that in giving us rest, God gives us Himself. All other blessings—peace, righteousness, joy, light, strength—flow from that singular gift. In Christ, we don’t merely receive benefits from God; we receive the indwelling presence of God Himself. This is not abstract or symbolic—it is the real, active, relational presence of the risen Christ living in us.
Andrew Murray builds on this truth by contrasting two stages in the Christian life. The first stage is marked by effort—trying to live the Christian life for God. The second begins when the believer ceases from his works and enters into God's rest, not to be idle, but to yield in faith and allow God to work in and through him. Rest, then, is not passive but deeply trusting. It is not inaction but Spirit-led action. It is not the absence of work—it is the end of striving.
The devotional warns against the common misunderstanding of rest as spiritual laziness or emotional retreat. Instead, true rest is found in the full surrender of the soul to the sufficiency of Christ’s life within. In this rest, we cease from self-effort and trust the indwelling Christ to express His life through us.
Ultimately, the lesson is this: God’s rest is God Himself. The more we trust Him moment by moment, the more we realize that He is not just the giver of rest—He is our Rest.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
Beloved, I did not invite you into My rest only to give you relief from toil—I invited you into Myself. My rest is not merely a pause from doing, but the Presence of the One who has already done all. I am your peace. I am your righteousness. I am your joy, your light, your strength, your hope. Everything you need is found in Me, because I gave you not merely blessings—I gave you Myself.
When you abide in Me, you do not walk alone. You walk in union with the One who overcame the world. The more you yield, the more My life finds expression through you. The more you trust, the more you discover that all your striving was only noise drowning out My stillness. When you rest in Me, you’re not quitting the journey—you’re finally letting Me drive.
Do not think rest means escape. Rest means participation. You walk in My Spirit. You bear fruit not by force, but by abiding. Rest is not the end of responsibility—it is the end of independence. I do the willing, I do the doing. You are the vessel, I am the life within.
So today, live—not with clenched fists, but with open hands. You are seated with Me in heavenly places. Let your mind dwell there. Let your soul yield there. Let your body move in step with the Spirit who indwells you. In Me, you are never empty, never alone, and never powerless. All that I am, I gave to you. Rest, child—My rest is your rest.
Scripture References: Hebrews 3:18–19; Hebrews 4:9–10; Philippians 2:13; Galatians 2:20; John 6:57; John 14:20; John 15:5; Romans 6:6–13; Colossians 1:27; Colossians 3:1–4; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 13:5; Ephesians 2:6; Matthew 11:28–30
Real-Life Analogy
Imagine sitting in a car at the top of a hill. The engine is on, the tank is full, and the GPS is loaded with your destination. But instead of shifting into drive, you open the door, get out, and try to push the car down the road yourself. That’s what self-effort looks like in the Christian life. You have all that is needed within you—Christ Himself—but until you take your hands off the frame and sit in the driver’s seat in faith, the journey remains exhausting and ineffective.
Today, if you're facing a conversation you dread, a task that overwhelms, or a temptation that feels too strong—pause and remember: the power is not yours. You were never meant to push the car. Yield to the Spirit within and quietly say, “Lord, I trust You to live Your life through me in this moment. You are my peace, my courage, my wisdom.” And then watch as rest becomes movement—not yours, but His through you.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, what a joy it is to rest—not in a doctrine or a distant promise, but in You. Thank You that Your rest is not something I strive toward but Someone I dwell in. I affirm today that You are my righteousness, my peace, my light, and my life. I cease from striving because You have already accomplished all. You are working in me both to will and to do. I trust You to express Yourself through me in the moments ahead. What a relief to know that You are enough—and You are mine. Amen.