Refrain:
There is rest for the weary,
There is rest for the weary,
There is rest for the weary,
There is rest for you;
On the other side of Jordan,
In the sweet fields of Eden,
Where the tree of life is blooming,
There is rest for you.
In the Christian’s home in glory,
There remains a land of rest;
And my Saviour’s gone before me
To fulfill my soul’s request.
He is fitting up my mansion
Which eternally shall stand,
For my stay shall not be transient
In that holy, happy land. [Refrain]
Pain or sickness ne’er shall enter,
Grief nor woe my lot shall share;
But in that celestial center,
I a crown of life shall wear. [Refrain]
Death itself shall then be vanquished,
And its sting shall be withdrawn;
Shout for gladness, O ye ransomed!
Hail with joy the rising morn. [Refrain]
Sing, O sing, ye heirs of glory,
Shout your triumph as you go;
Zion’s gates will open for you,
You shall find an entrance thro’.
William Hunter, 1856
Read John 14:1-7
Ah rest. In an overscheduled, overstressed society few things sound as sweet as guilt-free, uninterrupted rest. However, I don’t think simple physical rest is in view here. As believers, we also carry the soul exhaustion of living in a world that opposes us at every turn, a world of trials and temptations, heartache and loss. One product of that is a longing for the sacred rest we have been promised. Rest from the battle. Do you long for that rest? It is coming, and nearer every day.