Isaiah 28: 12, “This is rest; give rest to the weary and this is repose…”

That verse struck me today as I continue reading through the book of Isaiah.  We know that Jesus said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, I will give you rest.”

What Isaiah seems to be saying is that one’s rest from all the “wearisome changes of this world” (Prayer for Pentecost 5) is in the Lord.  However, our rest does not mean that we can relax in a hammock the remainder of our days.  Rest is also found in giving rest to those who are weary.  The implication of coming to Jesus in the mist of our own toil to receive his rest is to trust Him and ease the labor and heavy burdens which others carry. If Jesus is the means by which we find our rest in God, then we are means by which Christ eases the burdens of others, that they too may find rest.

In Revelation John hears a voice from heaven telling him to write, “Blessed are the dead, who die in the Lord…”  The Spirit responds, “Yes, let them rest from their labors, for the record of their deeds goes with them.”