Special Rest

Written by First Lady Shanan C. Burress

Posted March 20, 2026

Hebrews 4:9 (NLT) – “So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God.”

God’s promise of entering His rest still stands. The good news is that God has prepared this special rest for each of us. We should desire God’s special rest because we know that everything that God created is good. If God’s special rest is waiting for His people, then that means that we must have to do something to activate it.

How do we activate the benefit of God’s rest? When we dwell in presence of God, His peace surpasses anything we can understand. When we rest in the promises of God, we find peace and joy in His presence. When we love like Jesus loves, we find that His restoring power is not only activated in our lives, but also in the lives of those who we touch daily.

When I think about special rest, I think about those lazy Saturday’s where I only want to lay in the comfort of my bed and snuggle in the covers with no thought of the day’s worries or cares. That type of rest that makes your mind feel free and clear of anything that’s going on around you. Lately, there have been nights that although I’m extremely tired, I am unable to sleep the entire night through. For whatever reason, my rest has been broken up and not as steady as I’d like to experience.

Have you ever been so tired that you barely feel like you have the energy to do simple tasks? Have you ever lacked the energy to have meaningful conversations with the people that you love? To be tired to the point of exhaustion is almost unbearable to think about; but yet a reality for so many of us. But when the Bible talks about the special rest that is waiting for me and you, it’s encouraging to know that Jesus wants us to experience the power of HIS rest.

The rest that God promised us with not just rest for our natural bodies, but He promised rest for our spirit and our souls. Let’s activate the power of God’s rest in our lives by submitting ourselves to the author and finisher of our faith and allowing Him to restore to us His promise of special rest.