Originally posted: 2/01/2021
One hand full of rest is better than two fists full of labor and striving after wind, (4:6).
I heard myself sigh. As Solomon continues his evaluation of life, it certainly doesn’t fall into the category of a motivational speech; actually, on face value it’s just the opposite. Reading this chapter might more aptly be described as demotivating, disheartening, disconcerting, depressing, gloomy, pessimistic, and hopeless.
And so I read the chapter again, and again, asking for a glimmer of Him in this account that repeatedly shines the spotlight on our hopeless state: on the injustices of life, on that endless treadmill of working to get ahead, and on the utter inability of human effort and work to somehow arrive at the place of accomplishment that promises peace or posterity. And under this looking glass, life is utterly meaningless, so why even bother? Might as well make it your life’s aim to take hold of the wind in your hands.
Then I looked again at all the acts of oppression which were being done under the sun. And behold I saw the tears of the oppressed and that they had no one to comfort them; and on the side of their oppressors was power, but they had no one to comfort them… 4 I have seen that every labor and every skill which is done is the result of rivalry between a man and his neighbor. This too is vanity and striving after wind… 7 Then I looked again at vanity under the sun. 8 There was a certain man without a dependent, having neither a son nor a brother, yet there was no end to all his labor. Indeed, his eyes were not satisfied with riches and he never asked, “And for whom am I laboring and depriving myself of pleasure?” This too is vanity and it is a grievous task… 16 …for this too is vanity and striving after wind, (4:1, 4, 7-8, 16).
But I kept coming back to verse 6. And suddenly I wondered if this was a ray of hope and encouragement. And as I read the words once again, “One hand full of rest is better than two fists full of labor and striving after wind,” I heard Him ask:
“For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36).
And really, in His question, Jesus was saying the same thing as the Preacher. Going after the world is vanity, for in that there is no profit. And suddenly, the truth of the Rest we have that is only found in Jesus Christ flooded my thoughts. Of course! For knowing Him as Our Rest far surpasses anything we could ever strive after in this life.
Consider Him, Our Rest
- He Is Our Rest as we believe the promise of His Presence.
- And He said, “My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest,” (Exodus 33:14).
- He Is Our Rest as we walk in the fear of the Lord.
- The fear of the LORD leads to life,
and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm, (Proverbs 19:23 ESV).
- The fear of the LORD leads to life,
- He Is Our Rest as we cease working for His salvation and place our trust in what only He can do in our lives.
- For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them, (Ephesians 2:8-10).
- He Is Our Rest as we, by faith, enter His Rest and rest from our own works.
- For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that. 9 So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. 10 For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His, (Hebrews 4:8-10).
- He Is Our Rest Who invites us to Come to Him.
- “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 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. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light,” (Matthew 11:28-30).
- He Is Our Rest when we are weary and heavy laden in our striving.
- He Is Our Rest when we take His yoke and learn from Him.
- He Is Our Rest when we understand His gentle humility.
- He Is Our Rest as we walk with Him in faith and trust Him to carry our burden.
- He Is Our Rest; He alone is where we find True Rest for our souls.
- “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 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. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light,” (Matthew 11:28-30).
How do we respond to Him, Our Rest?
We must never forget that He has given us the freedom to choose whether or not we will accept His invitation to come to Him, Our Rest.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life,” (John 3:16).
Whoever believes is given His precious gift of eternal life. And He continues to offer us His Rest through daily communion with Him in faith. But then, we must invite Him in.
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me,” (Revelations 3:20).
Let us open the door and accept His Invitation, for only in Christ will we find true value and meaning in life. Truly, one hand holding fast to Him, Our Rest, far supersedes two hands grabbing the empty enticements of this world.
One hand full of rest is better than two fists full of labor and striving after wind, (4:6).
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- And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 35 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:34-36).
- Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession, (Hebrews 4:14).
- Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful, (Hebrews 10:23).
When we find ourselves fraught with the anxieties and worries of this life, this is a sure indication that we are attempting to find meaning in the empty answers of this world rather than holding fast to our confession of hope in Him. Oh, may we be quick to accept His invitation, and in humility and repentance return to Him, Our Rest.
“In repentance and rest you will be saved,
In quietness and trust is your strength.”
But you were not willing, (Isaiah 30:15).
Let us ask Him to free us from our cares and worries as we patiently wait in faith, trusting Him, Our Rest, Who will carry out His perfect purpose for our life.
Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes, (Psalm 37:7).
Only in Jesus will we find Our Rest; but we also need one another to serve and walk through this life. When our fellowship is woven together in Christ, we can overpower the work of fear and doubt, as we stoke the fire of our faith together to find our strength in Him, Our Rest.
Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. 10 For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up. 11 Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? 12 And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart, (4:9-12).
When the circumstances of life assail us, provoking a frenzied and frantic reaction, it is then we must engage in soul talk, and choose to remind ourselves of His abundant goodness and our need to return to Him, Our Rest.
Return to your rest, O my soul,
For the Lord has dealt bountifully with you, (Psalm 116:7).
Each day brings the choice to stay in our anxiety or return to His Rest. He has so faithfully given us everything we need to live this life in Him, Our Rest, through the true knowledge revealed in Jesus our Lord.
Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; 3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence, (2 Peter 1:2-3).
Oh, let us be diligent to enter His Rest, as we daily seek Him, Our Rest, in His living and active Word.
Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart, (Hebrews 4:11-12).