The Old Testament priests had to go into the temple over and over again to make sacrifices for the people's sins. There were no seats in the temple for them to sit down because another sacrifice was always required. But when Jesus was crucified, He said on the cross, "It is finished." He was talking about the old way of having to constantly offer sacrifices for forgiveness. The Scripture says, "When Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God" (Hebrews 10:12). His sitting down is a picture of perfect rest. The apostle Paul tells the beauty of it: "We are seated with Christ in heavenly places" (Ephesians 2:6).
There is a seat of rest that belongs to you. You don't have to go through life constantly trying to make up for past mistakes, worrying about your finances, trying to make a family member do what's right, being frustrated because a dream hasn't come to pass. Do yourself a favor and take your seat. Enter into that rest. When you sit down, you're at peace. You may have problems, but you know that God is fighting your battles. People may have done you wrong, but you're not trying to pay them back. You know that God will make your wrongs right. You could go around worried about an illness, but instead, you stay seated. You know that God has you in the palms of His hands.
David said in Psalm 27, "Though I am surrounded by trouble, my heart will know no fear…. For the Lord will hide me in His shelter." He was saying, "I could be worried and upset, but I know a secret. The battle is not mine; the battle is the Lord's, so I'm going to take my seat." When you try to make everything happen in your own strength, you are standing up, so to speak. As long as you're working, God will rest. But when you sit down, God will stand up and go to work. That's why He says, "Be still, and know that I am God." He is saying, "Sit down. I've got this. I'm bigger than your enemies."
It's not that we sit back passively. We have to fight the good fight. We should be responsible, believe, pray and dream, but we do that from a place of rest. You can work hard with a rest on the inside, knowing you're doing your best, and God will get you to where you're supposed to be. God is saying, "Take your seat. My favor is on your life. Live from a place of rest."