‘That They May Rest From Their Labors’

‘That They May Rest From Their Labors’

And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth:  Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them.

Revelation 14:13

As we dwell a little longer on this text we began yesterday, we continue to consider the blessedness which those ‘who die in the Lord’ enjoy.  One of the enjoyments of their blessedness is that, ‘they…rest from their labors.’  What are these ‘labors’ from which they rest? The people whom Christ has transformed have become His imitators.  He ‘went about doing good’ and so have they.  At work or at home, in prosperity or in poverty, in their own nation or abroad, they have done good unto all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.  Because Christ has transformed them, they have followed His example.  They have fed the hungry, clothed the naked, visited the sick and imprisoned.  They have done these things unto the least of Christ’s brethren.  According to His estimation, they have done these things unto Him.  They have roamed tirelessly over the whole earth in every generation to proclaim the gospel of Christ by life and lip.  Now having come to the end of their earthly journey, ‘they…rest from their labors.’  This is a blessed rest in the Presence of Christ.  This is a painless rest, a perfect rest, a permanent rest, and a peaceful rest.  Here is the rest which Christ has reserved for those who die in Him.

O God of peace and rest,
we rejoice that You have given unto us much to accomplish,
to advance Your Kingdom.
We praise You that the day of rest is coming,
and we look forward, with all our hearts, unto that blessed day.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning