Rest That Makes Us Holy
Sunlight resting on a still chair, a simple picture of holiness born from shared rest.
Devotional Credit: His Victorious Indwelling, reflecting on Exodus 20:8 with selections from Andrew Murray, E. P. C., and Augustine, compiled by Nick Harrison
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Sabbath is not a rule to trip us. It is God sharing His own rest. Andrew Murray helps us see it with fresh eyes. In creation, God finished His work, then He rested, and He blessed that day. He invited humanity into His rest so we would enjoy His love, not strive for His approval. Rest with God, then work from God, that is the pattern.
Murray presses a beautiful point. Holiness is not something we manufacture. Holiness arrives where God comes to dwell. He rested, then He sanctified. That is the order. When the Lord takes up residence, things become set apart simply because He is there. In the new covenant, this is not limited to a day on the calendar. By the Spirit, the Lord makes His home in His people, and rest becomes the atmosphere of holiness in ordinary hours.
This turns legalism inside out. The Sabbath command reveals a Person who invites us to cease from self saving and to enjoy what His hands have finished. Jesus is the giver of rest. He is the Lord of the Sabbath. In Him we learn to quiet the inner scramble, not by apathy, but by trusting union. We stop carrying what He has already carried, and we discover a clean energy for love.
I am grateful to Nick Harrison for curating today’s voices. Even the short line from E. P. C. fits. We hunt rest in surroundings, God gives rest within. Augustine’s prayer echoes the same music. God rests in us and works through us. That is the abiding life. Not a nap from responsibility, but a life sourced in Jesus, steady and clean.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I am the Holy Spirit, and I dwell in you. I bring you into the rest of God. The Father finished His works from the foundation of the world. The Son finished redemption at the cross and sat down at the right hand of Majesty. I open the way for you to enter that rest by faith. I quiet the soul that tries to earn what grace freely gives.
I sanctify you by My presence. Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. I set you apart in the Beloved. I renew your mind so you live from completion, not from anxiety. I teach you to cease from your own works as God did from His. Not inactivity, but reliance. Not indifference, but worship. From this rest flows obedience that is light and joyful.
I remind you that Jesus is your Sabbath. He is Lord of it. In Him, the shadows find their substance. I strengthen you with power in your inner person so that the Messiah dwells in your heart through faith. I let the peace of the Anointed rule in your heart, and I cause His word to dwell richly in you. From this place you love your family, serve your neighbors, and do your work with a quiet spirit.
Come to the waters. Draw near with confidence. Cast your cares on the Father who cares for you. I keep you, I guide you, I produce fruit that looks like Jesus. Rest in My presence and walk in My power, and holiness will have a home in your everyday life.
Real-Life Analogy
Think of your laptop while a long update runs. The fan whirs, the progress bar crawls, and nothing works right until it finishes. Then the bar reaches one hundred, the fan settles, and the screen returns ready and responsive.
Abiding rest is like that finish. The Spirit of Jesus reminds you that the essential work is complete in Him, and your soul stops whirring. If you feel that churn while sorting a family schedule, you might say, Lord, I trust You to quiet my heart and organize this with Your wisdom in me. Then choose the single next task, send one clear message, and leave margin for a shared meal. Let the Lord supply the calm while you move at His pace.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, thank You that in Jesus the work that matters most is finished. Thank You that Your Spirit lives in me and makes Your rest my home. Thank You that holiness is Your presence with me, not my performance for You. I receive Your peace ruling my heart. I enjoy Your word dwelling richly in me. I rejoice that my work today flows from Your rest and carries Your love.
Scripture References for the Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture Section
Exodus 20:8-11. Genesis 2:1-3. Hebrews 4:1-11. Hebrews 10:12-14. Matthew 11:28-30. Mark 2:27-28. Colossians 2:16-17. John 19:30. Ephesians 2:4-10. Ephesians 3:16-19. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. Colossians 3:15-17. Romans 12:1-2. 1 Peter 5:6-7. Hebrews 13:20-21. Psalm 116:7. Isaiah 30:15. Jeremiah 6:16. Psalm 62:1-2.