6 Comforting Bible Verses about Rest

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

This verse is part of a larger passage, Matthew 11:28-30: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” 

People seek rest for their soul, and Jesus invites the weary and burdened to come to Him. The “burden” was the weighty system of good works for salvation that the Pharisees placed on Jews’ backs (Matthew 23:4). This yoke of legalistic law-keeping was an impossible, oppressive burden that results in self-righteousness and frustration. No amount of self-righteous works can ever bring a sinner into a right relationship with a holy God.

God’s provision in Jesus was to relieve that heavy burden. In contrast to legalism’s requirements, the Lord’s yoke is “light” and easy to carry. It involves repentance and faith, a surrendered life, and commitment to follow the Lord. Unlike the rules of the Pharisees, obedience to Christ is “not burdensome.”

While keeping the Lord’s commands after salvation is in some ways harder because it involves the heart — not simply outward compliance — what brings the Christ-follower to a place of true spiritual rest is the truth that Jesus has already carried the weighty penalty for our sin (2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:18-19; 2:24). Resting in His salvation, we are free to worship Him.

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“So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God” (Hebrews 4:9).

This Scripture is somewhat related to the first. Heb. 4:9-11a says, “So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest. . . .”

The first mention of the Sabbath was in Genesis 2:2-3, where, after God created the world, He rested. He didn’t need to rest — He simply ceased from His labors — but He set aside the seventh day as a day of rest for humans. The Hebrew word for this is shabbat —a day made holy by God. In Exodus 20:8-10, the Israelites were told to “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy . . . On it you shall not do any work. . . .” Keeping the Sabbath holy meant being sure it was set apart from the rest of the week for rest.

Also, under Jewish law, the Jews were constantly trying to make themselves acceptable to God, but they couldn’t keep all the regulations. Animal sacrifices and sin offerings were instituted so the people could come to God for forgiveness and ongoing fellowship. They were temporary remedies for sin — a shadow of the ultimate sacrifice in Jesus (Hebrews 10:1, 12). The Jews longed for the coming of their Messiah, who would provide a permanent rest from the burden of sin.

In the sacrifice of Christ, there was a cessation from the Jewish “labor” of atonement. Jesus paid it all! Believers could finally rest in God and the provision of His Son for sin. God “made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). So, Sabbath rest was designed to relieve believers from their physical labors, but also, Jesus came to relieve people from any attempts to gain salvation by works. 

The writer of Hebrews urges readers to “enter” this Sabbath rest provided by Jesus — to turn to Him through repentance and faith. The Scriptures are clear that Jesus is the only way to enter into Sabbath rest, because He is the only One who satisfied the requirements of God’s holiness, His holy law, and the need for atonement for sin.

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“The LORD replied, ‘My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest’” (Exodus 33:14).

God told faithful Moses to expect His presence. In context, God’s people faced great challenges in the Exodus. Though freed from Pharaoh’s grasp, they still faced a journey through the difficult wilderness that lasted for decades. They would face dangers, drought, and hunger before entering the Promised Land. Moses wondered how he could ever be up to the task of leading God’s people.

A few verses earlier (vv. 1-3), God told Moses he would not go up among them to drive out their enemies, because they were continually disobeying Him as a stubborn, “stiff-necked people.” But what happened between verse 3 and verse 14 made a difference! Moses prayed (vv. 12-13). He appealed to his integrity as He interceded for God’s people, he begged for mercy and for God to teach him His ways, and he reminded God, “This nation is your people.”

God responded by promising His presence in the Israelites’ journey, and He tied up that promise with the ribbon of rest. The Hebrew word for rest in verse 14 is nawach, meaning “to rest, settle down, and remain; to repose, have rest, be quiet.” Isn’t that what we all want? To know that we are not alone and that God wants us to confidently settle down and rest in the shelter of His presence?

Unfortunately, the rebellious, unbelieving, disobedient Israelites failed to enter God’s rest; but God still calls His people to a place of rest. When we deal with sins that prevent our fellowship with Him, we will find the rest we seek. It’s a blessed thing to rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

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“Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he [Jesus] said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest’” (Mark 6:31). 

The next verse tells us, “So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.” Jesus recognized that it wasn’t just food The Twelve needed, they also needed a quiet place — a place to come apart for a while before they fell apart. Jesus loved His disciples and cared about their well-being.

The stresses of life can be staggering, truly overwhelming. In Psalm 55:6-8, David was so stressed out, he wanted to run away. He said, “‘Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. I would flee far away and stay in the desert; I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm.’”

But David also knew how to “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him” (Psalm 37:7a NKJV). Be still, David said. Rest in God. Earlier, David said that his God, like a shepherd caring for sheep, makes His children lie down in green pastures by quiet waters (Psalm 23:2-3a). The Good Shepherd’s sheep need times of refreshing. 

When we feel engulfed by trials and struggles, or miserable because we know we can’t fix our problems, we naturally want to escape. We want some peace and quiet, rest and safety, away from the wild storms of our circumstances. Jesus understands that. He says to His followers, “Come with me.” He is the shelter in our storms.

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“It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep” (Psalm 127:2).

Sleep is the ultimate physical rest. Psalm 127 is one of two psalms attributed to wise King Solomon.

Perhaps there is a physical reason a person cannot sleep, and that can be addressed by health professionals. But so many people work incessantly, fretting into the night about making more money or becoming a bigger success. They fail to plan for the sleep their body needs. Solomon says that this strategy is “in vain” — it’s useless, foolish. God desires something better for us. He enjoys blessing those He loves with the deep rest of much-needed sleep. 

Others allow daily worries to rob them of sleep. They can’t “turn off” their brain to sleep. Peter has a good word regarding this: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). 

Fear is another reason people cannot sleep. Fear about the future, fear about finances — so many fears. David said, “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety” (Psalm 4:8). Proverbs 3:24 encourages us too: “When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.” Jesus wants to give us His peace in exchange for our fears. The peace of God guards against anxious thoughts and emotions.

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“Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death” (Isaiah 57:1-2). 

When attending a Christian funeral, we’re likely to hear about the “rest” of the believer. This is biblical truth. It’s not expressly biblical to say “rest in peace,” a phrase symbolized as “R.I.P.” on tombstones. That phrase is never used in Scripture in reference to a person who has died. 

This Scripture in Isaiah specifically says the person who dies is a righteous person, trusting God. There is no peace, no rest for “the wicked,” those who have not placed their trust in God. This is also expressed in the New Testament. Those who are not “in Christ” are not resting in peace (John 3:3, 18; 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9). Saying “rest in peace” is actually a form of praying for the dead, which is not biblical. There is no more chance for salvation after death, as is clear in the story of the rich man and Lazarus. 

That said, in the book of Daniel, an angel spoke about Daniel’s death and said, “You will rest” (Daniel 12:13); and in the New Testament, the dead in Christ are often referred to as “those who are asleep.” Scottish theologian William Arnot explained, “When death becomes the property of the believer, it receives a new name and is called sleep.” In a real life example, Jesus told those who wailed over a little girl’s death, “The child is not dead but asleep” (Mark 5:39). This is a metaphor meaning that death for the Christ-follower is only temporary because the dead believer is now “present with the Lord” in paradise (2 Corinthians 5:8; Luke 23:43). 

So we see there is a rest for the people of God both now and in eternity. God calls each of us to enter into His rest through salvation and then continue resting in Him through a surrendered life.

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