Resting Because Jesus is Seated

Have you ever seen someone struggling and just wished they could experience the relief that’s right in front of them? They know something needs to change. They even want it to. But they can’t seem to absorb it or apply it to just take that one, simple, step toward the relief they’re craving.

And sometimes? That someone is us.

I looked at the list and sighed. I hadn’t been idle. I had been doing, teaching, serving, showing up. But inside? I was tired. The kind of tired that makes your prayers slow and your Bible feel heavy.

It’s not that I was questioning God’s love or trying to earn His favor. I know His grace is secure and His delight in me isn’t based on my output. But I also know this: So many of us are carrying weight we were never meant to bear. And I wonder if, in all our movement, we’ve forgotten the posture of our Savior and why thinking of Him in this way matters.

Consider this, because when I did, I shifted that weight right back to where it belongs, on Him:

“Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven” (Hebrews 8:1)

Seated.

That one word caught me. Because priests didn’t sit. Not in the temple. Not in the tabernacle. I knew this. Remembered it from reading Leviticus of all books!

There were no chairs behind the curtain. The work of offering and interceding never ended. Sin kept coming, so sacrifices kept being made. Always standing. Always working.

But Jesus? He offered Himself, once, for all. And then He sat down.“It is finished.” (John 19:30)

And if He is seated, why am I still striving? I mean, seriously. I literally had that moment in my thoughts.

Listen, that moment, the joy of noticing the word seated and all it implied, didn’t come because I’m especially insightful. It came because, by grace, I’ve made it a habit to linger in the Word.

Not rush through a reading plan. Not skim a devotional (though they have their place!). But to dwell.

DWELL.

That shift came because I realized that nowhere – not one place – in the Word are we called to simply read someone else’s word about the Word. What I saw in the Bible was never about plans or devotionals, instead, God’s Word always says to meditate, delight, abide, treasure, keep, obey and dwell.

“Blessed is the one whose delight is in – a devotional? a quick quotable? No. – the law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night.” (Psalm 1:1–2)

“Let the word of – that inspirational speaker? a clever blogger? No. – Christ dwell in you richly” (Colossians 3:16)

“Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart.” (Jeremiah 15:16)

“Man shall not live by bread alone, but live by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4)

That’s what I want, not to check boxes, but to feast. Not to skim for inspiration, but to sit with the living Word until it shapes me, convicts me, comforts me, and brings me face-to-face with Jesus.

I love a good quotable like any of us – but if I keep bee-bopping around the Bible looking for that pick-me-up nugget I’ll miss the big picture.

I don’t want to miss that. I don’t want you to either. Because I’ve found that the Word isn’t just information, it’s oxygen. It’s not a collection of motivational quotes – it’s life.

I want to know Him. To see how all of Scripture speaks of Christ. To let it unstick me in my stuck places and relieve me in my striving places.

That habit, that intentional shift, has been the single most massively impactful change I ever made in my life.

We all love a good life-hack, something that shifts everything for the better. And this? This was the ultimate one for me. And it has paid off. If you know my story, then you know – it’s actually been life-changing and life-saving!

So, when I read Hebrews 8 that day, I didn’t just see words on a page. I saw Jesus, seated. I was able to see Him in context of the Old Testament moment He foreshadowed!¹

The truth is: you don’t have to be a scholar. You just have to be willing to stay a little longer. Dwell – don’t do. And it’s what the Bible actually invites us into, not to outsource our relationship with God through someone else’s insight, but to come to the Word ourselves.

To linger. To listen.

Show up with your Bible open and your heart available. The Spirit will meet you there. He’s faithful like that. And I want that for you too. More than I can say. Oh, man, do I want that! I long for it.

Every time I meet with someone like you in my ministry or just in my friendship conversations – I long for you to have that shift. Not guilt. Not pressure. Just a quiet encouragement: This kind of noticing, the deep encouragement, it’s available to the one who returns first and again to the living Word and lets it speak.

A Quiet Heart Check

Hebrews 8 invites you to exhale. To stop scrambling for God’s attention or approval. You already have it. Jesus is seated. Which means you can rest.

“He is the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises.” (Hebrews 8:6)

Better promises. Not “you’ll always be productive.” But you are secure.

For the One Who’s Tried Before (and Feels Like She Failed)

Ok, getting practical for a moment…

You’ve bought the journal. Downloaded the reading plan. Started strong on but a few days in and it all unraveled. So now you wonder: Is this just not for me?

Friend, hear me gently: you’re not disqualified. You don’t need a reset. You need a return. Not to a program, but to a Person. To the Word Himself.

Here’s hope—and a few simple, doable steps.

Just. Dwell.
Dwell through the cool parts, the confusing parts, the boring or tedious parts – “let the Word of Christ dwell”

That’s it. Simple. Don’t go into this shift with the expectation of getting a golden nugget every day.

Try this:

1. Start with one verse, not one hour. Forget “quiet time goals.” Just open your Bible and read one verse. Out loud. Slowly. Let it sit in your mouth and your mind. Write it on a sticky note. Carry it with you. This is meditating.

2. Don’t rush to “finish the chapter.” If a word or phrase moves you—pause. That might be the Spirit inviting you to stay right there.

3. Ask just one question: What does this show me about God? Not “how does this apply to my to-do list” and not, “how does this make me feel better today.” and definitely not “what would make a good Instagram quote.” Just this: What does this reveal about who He is?

4. Repeat. If you miss a day (or three), don’t spiral. You haven’t broken anything. Just return. Again and again. That’s where the shift happens: in the returning.

5. Pray small, honest prayers. Invite the Lord and invite a friend too

“Jesus, I want to want this.”
“Help me see You.”
“Don’t let me rush past what You’re saying.”
And then invite a friend to join you just share a little bit with you in your shift you’ll find encouragement in walking with a friend. I promise.

“The unfolding of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.” (Psalm 119:130)

You don’t have to have it all together to begin. You just have to begin. That voice you hear saying, “You’ll never be able to do this.” that’s not the Holy Spirit. I promise. Jesus is rested so you can cease striving and let Him help you!

I want this for you. Oh, how I want this for you, and He does too:

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

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This is just a glimpse into the rich, soul-steadying truth of Hebrews 8. If your heart is tired, if you’re feeling the pull to perform, I invite you to listen to the full sermon:

🎧 Hebrews 8:1–6 || What We Really Need!

A Simple Prayer:

Jesus, Thank You for being seated. For finishing the work. For making it possible for me to rest, not just on Sunday, but in the middle of my Mondays. Help me love Your Word and dwell in it.
Amen.

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1. There is no explicit “there were no chairs” verse, but the idea comes from the design of the tabernacle and temple as described in Exodus and Leviticus, where no provision is made for a priest to sit in the Holy Place or Holy of Holies. Along with this passage from Hebrews 8, another helpful anchor passage is: Hebrews 10:11 “And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.” This verse builds on the Old Testament descriptions found in passages like: Exodus 25–27 and Exodus 30–31 (tabernacle furniture and layout), Leviticus 16 (Day of Atonement procedures—note the standing, moving, and ministering), 1 Kings 6–7 (Solomon’s temple, many furnishings listed, no seat for the priest). The absence of a seat is theological. Priests didn’t sit because their work was never done. Jesus, our Great High Priest, sits because His work is finished (Hebrews 1:3, 8:1, 10:12). No seat in the sanctuary meant the work wasn’t done. Jesus seated in heaven means it is. ↩︎