READ: Hebrews
4
This chapter gives a long and beautiful explanation of God’s rest. The
writer explains that God worked six days and then He rested. Rested. No work.
The Rest of God is all about God and nothing else. The seventh day of Creation
was a day of rest. The author explains that God talked about that day, but that
day is over so God must be talking about a different
day of rest. He explains that the different
day of rest is actually… today.
How is it possible that today is the day we can enter God’s rest? The
Sabbath rest, or God’s rest, is very simply this: When we hear the voice of God
and obey. This is how we enter into God’s rest! It’s not complicated. So
whatever day we listen and obey is the day we enter God’s rest… and we can do
it again, and again, and again.
The writer talks about us resting from our works so we can enter into
God’s rest. Many times we are busy doing, doing, doing things for the Lord that
are genuinely good things. We are working, working, working for the Lord. The
trouble is this: the key to entering God’s rest is not to get your work
done! It’s quite simply to hear the voice of God and obey. Put aside the
striving, and put on the listening – that’s true Sabbath rest.
This aligns perfectly with what we read in Matthew 7:21-23. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the
kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that
day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and
cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And
then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of
lawlessness.’” We can be confident as we draw near to God, listen to His
voice and obey, that we are living today in God’s rest, and that one day soon
we will enter God’s eternal rest as well.
In
verse 11 the writer seems to contradict himself because he tells us there is
actually something we should strive for. If we are to work at something in the
Kingdom of Heaven it is this: to enter God’s rest.
We
are encouraged and challenged in verse 12 and 13. It might be easy to feel
overwhelmed at listening to God and obeying, but God doesn’t leave us stranded!
He says His Word (the very thing we are to listen for) is living, active and
sharper than a sword. It is moving and doing and being. It is exposing our
hearts and discerning our motives. God’s Word is a dynamic Person – living,
breathing, and real! John 1:1 tells us that Jesus is Himself the Word of God!
Even as we read the Scriptures, listen to Him in prayer, and live our lives in
obedience He is right there with us, revealing, teaching, exposing and directing.
JOURNALING
AND PRAYER
1. Ask the Lord how
you are doing in regards to doing mighty works for God instead of entering into
God’s rest each day. Ask Him what area of life you are tempted to be
works-driven instead of rest-driven. Ask the Lord to give you a picture of what
your life would be like if you were living each day striving to enter God’s
rest in every single area. Ask Him to help you live more and more like this as
you grow in character and faith.
2. Some of us find
listening to God is not easy. We have a hard time knowing what is from God and
what is not. Ask God to give you a word,
thought, or picture right now about how HE is the Word of God who is living,
active, and sharper than any two-edged sword and how you can learn to recognize
Him even more quickly in your day-to-day living. Thank Him for the Scriptures
that help reveal Him to us. Ask Him to open your heart to hear His voice each
time you open the Bible to read.
3. Take a few minutes
now to pray for your church leaders or pastors. Ask the Lord to give them rest
from working, working, working and to give them grace to enter His Rest today.
Pray a blessing over them and pray for any needs you know they have.
