“Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience” (Hebrews 4:11, ESV). In the King James, “Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.”

The words strive and labor are used interchangeably, as are the words disobedience and unbelief. This is a striking verse. We are to work to rest. We have to work at entering into rest.

What is the Sabbath rest of the believer? The Sabbath was the acknowledgement that God was their provider. They didn’t have to work for their food. God would cause the growth and make it enough. They didn’t have to worry about defending themselves, God would protect them.

Our culture has lost this idea of the Sabbath in many ways. In America’s history, there are famous Sabbath stories such as wagon trains heading out on the Oregon trail. It was important to travel quickly because supplies would run out and winter was always looming ahead. Some would honor what they understood of the Sabbath and not travel on Sundays and would get there faster than those pushing ahead every day. It wasn’t about Sundays. It was about acknowledging God. God honors those who honor Him. They were trusting God and His ways, and He came through for them.

Why is it work to rest? Because it doesn’t come natural for us. It’s hard enough for us to sit still and do nothing, but that’s not what God is requiring of us. God’s rest is a trust in Him. We have to trust Him to protect and provide, to be our good Father, to be our God. We have to give up trying to save ourselves. We need to not rely on our own understanding of what needs to be done. It’s a knowing that God already has accomplished it, that I just have to walk with Him and it will all be well, all taken care of. Our work of rest is working to get to know Him so that we know we can always be at rest in His strong and loving arms. Our work of rest is choosing to acknowledge Him at all times and turning to Him first. Our work of rest is refusing to rely on our own strength and understanding, and waiting on Him to act which may mean moving us to action.

Jesus challenged the Pharisees’ idea of Sabbath rest. Jesus describes the Sabbath as being for us, as being for doing good. Only God is good. In order to do good on the Sabbath, we must be allowing God to work in and through us. By walking in the Spirit, we can live in the Sabbath rest of trusting His protection, trusting His provision, trusting His leading, trusting His will, trusting His working all things for good.

Work and strive to know that the God of the universe, who made all things and does all things well, is your God, and be at rest.