In the Book of Hebrews God says a very strange thing: He says, "Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest..." (Hebrews 4:11), meaning the rest of God. At first this doesn't seem to make sense. How can you labor to rest?

But the more you learn about spiritual warfare, the more you can see that it does take "work" to attain true rest in God. Why? Because the minute we desire to enter His rest, the enemy of our flesh rises up with a vengeance! We are bombarded with prideful thoughts, schemes, appetites, worries and fears - all of which compete with Christ in you.

Each one of these intruders must be fought off, and this takes work. But unless we labor to wage war against these things, we will never enter His rest. The Psalmist David exerted this type of effort when he wrote, "LORD, my heart is not haughty, nor my eyes lofty; neither do I exercise myself in matters too great or in things too wonderful for me. Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with his mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me (ceased from fretting)" (Psalm 131:1-2, AMP).

As you lay down to rest tonight, be aware of the enemy's tactics. Know that it may take the labor of spiritual warfare to enter the true rest of God, but the rewards will be worth the effort.

Heavenly Father, thank you for allowing me to enter Your rest. I renounce and stand against any form of unbelief that would prevent me from obtaining it. I will resist any prideful thoughts, fears, worries, or distractions which stand between me and perfect peace in You. I praise You that a new revelation of what it means to rest in You awaits me tonight. In Jesus' Name, Amen.