That they may rest from their labours

Revelation 14:13

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 labours; and their works do follow them.

The most wonderful thing about Heaven is rest. They may rest from their labors! Those who have toiled and labored and worked and diligently wrought for Christ will one day enter eternal rest. Their labors will be ended, and the eternal day of joy and unending peace will begin. Not that they will despise or resist work. They will simply have no need of it. They will bask in the presence of our holy God for ever and ever. There will be no more need of toil. What a day it shall be! Blessed are they which die in the Lord! For us, it is a horrible thing to lose a Christian who loves his or her Savior. It leaves behind a void in our hearts, that can scarcely be filled by anything or anyone else. But for them, it is a most blessed day! Especially for those who have labored hard and long for the Master. They shall rest from their labors, and their works do follow them.

Their works do follow them! They may cease from their labors, but they being dead yet speak! Their labors and works outlive themselves. They continue despite their departure. They shall live in the lives of others inspired and incentivized through their own lives. Our labors live beyond the threescore years and ten or the fourscore years that we live. Therefore, let us labor for Him incessantly, let us constantly and faithfully work for Him, for we must work the works of Him that sent us while it is day. Are those not the words of the Master Himself? We must continue to diligently and scrupulously and assiduously labor for Him, so that those works may continue when our life is discontinued. How will we remain resolute in this commitment? We are strengthened by the knowledge that our works will be ended one day, and we will enter the land of rest.

Dear friend, one day you will rest, but not yet. Continue to labor for the Savior. He is worthy of all. In the next world, you shall be thankful that this world was a world of toil, for you shall meet your works over there! How many shall we meet who will tell us that they are there because of our labor? We will take no pride, but shall be forever grateful that we labored. This world is not intended to be a world of rest, but a world of labor. But while we labor, we can rest in Christ. For He said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” We can rest in Him as we labor. And one day, the labor will be changed to eternal repose in Him. And when the brief years of this life are expired, may the faithful and arduous labor that we performed here bring forth precious fruit in eternal life.

“Father, may we see this day the need to labor for Thee. One day we shall rest! Thank you for this! We look forward to it with great anticipation! May that be the impetus to work harder for you now, knowing that the rest is always the best when it follows our hardest labor. That is, no doubt, the way that you have created it to be. As we work for you this day and every day, remind us of the coming rest, lest we be discouraged along the way. And we shall praise you for this. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”