January Devotions

In a Similar way to yesterday’s revision exercise of engaging with the discipleship skill of waiting, we turn to that essential focus of finding rest in our crazy world. 

Hebrews 4:9–10 —

“There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their own work, just as God did from his.”

It’s easy to feel that life is all about doing: achieving, fixing, planning, managing. Yet Scripture invites us into something radically countercultural — resting in God.

God doesn’t ask us to abandon responsibility; He asks us to stop trying to carry the weight alone. Entering His rest is a spiritual posture: a quiet trust that He holds everything — our worries, our plans, our fears — and that we can step out of the frantic striving to lean on Him.

Hebrews 4 reminds us that rest is more than sleep. It is an act of faith, a deliberate choice to hand over what we cannot control and to trust that God’s power and care are sufficient. When we rest in God, we are not passive. We are participating in His sustaining work, acknowledging that life unfolds under His loving hands.

A child once watched her father carrying a heavy basket of groceries. She insisted on helping, straining with all her might. Finally, he knelt down and said, “I’ve got it. You can walk beside me and enjoy the sunshine.”

The child relaxed, laughed, and noticed the world around her in a way she hadn’t while struggling under the load.

God invites us to a similar experience: He is carrying the weight; our task is to walk in His presence, resting and trusting.

Prayer

Sovereign God,

Thank You that You hold all things — my life, my worries, and my plans.

Teach me to enter Your rest, to release my striving, and to trust Your care.

Help me see rest not as laziness, but as a faithful response to Your love.

May I walk each day leaning on You, finding strength and peace in Your hands.

Amen.

Practice for Today: Rest as an Act of Trust

• Choose a short period today — even 10–15 minutes — to stop what you are doing.
• Sit, lie down, or take a gentle walk.
• Quiet your mind and focus on the truth: God holds everything.
• Let this rest be a deliberate act of trust, acknowledging that His power is enough.

Small moments of rest remind us that we do not have to carry the world alone.