Devotion: Come And Enter Into His Rest

“Although God’s promise still stands—his promise that all may enter his place of rest—we ought to tremble with fear because some of you may be on the verge of failing to get there after all.  For this wonderful news—the message that God wants to save us—has been given to us just as it was to those who lived in the time of Moses.  But it didn’t do them any good because they didn’t believe it.  They didn’t mix it with faith.  For only we who believe God can enter into his place of rest.  He has said, ‘I have sworn in my anger that those who don’t believe me will never get in,’ even though he has been ready and waiting for them since the world began.  We know he is ready and waiting because it is written that God rested on the seventh day of creation, having finished all that he had planned to make.  Even so they didn’t get in, for God finally said, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’  Yet the promise remains and some get in—but not those who had the first chance, for they disobeyed God and failed to enter.”

“But he has set another time for coming in, and that time is now.  He announced this through King David long years after man’s first failure to enter, saying in the words already quoted, ‘Today when you hear him calling, do not harden your hearts against him.’  This new place of rest he is talking about does not mean the land of Israel that Joshua led them into.  If that were what God meant, he would not have spoken long afterwards about ‘today’ being the time to get in.  So there is a full complete rest still waiting for the people of God.  Christ has already entered there.  He is resting from his work, just as God did after the creation.  Let us do our best to go into that place of rest, too, being careful not to disobey God as the children of Israel did, thus failing to get in” (Hebrews 4:1-11 TLB).

When you come to God, you are saying that “you” want to repent of your sins.  You are saying that “you” recognize the wrong in the self-fulfilling, sinful evil natured things that “you” have done and “you” are sorry about doing them.  You are saying that “you” regret your past actions and that “you” want to change your ways.  You are saying that “you” are ready to pick up your cross and crucify your sinful nature.  So, when “you” come to God, it be “you” that repents of your sins; it be “you” that confesses with your mouth; and it be “you” that believes with your heart.  It be “you” who tells God that “you” are changing the inside of your house.  It be “you” who tells God that “you” do not intend on continuing in your sinful ways.  It be “you” who tells God that “you” are ready to submit to him.  It be “you” who tells God that “you” are ready to worship and praise him.  When you come to God, it be “you” who does all of these things, because it is “you” who believes.  When you come to God, it is “you” who says that you have come to the end of yourself.  This is where “you” find the beginning of God.

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).

When you are ready to come to God, it be “you” who repents of your sins, who confesses with your mouth, and who believes with your heart (Romans 10:9-10).  When you are ready, it be “you” who wants to submit to God (Psalm 40:8), to praise him (Psalm 148:1-10), and to worship him (Psalm 66:4).  When you are ready, it be “you” who humbly comes before God (I Peter 5:6) and it be “God” who accepts you as you come, who forgives you of your past sins, and who wipes clean your slate (Hebrews 10:16-17).  But more importantly than anything else, it be “God” who reconnects his Spirit with your spirit, giving new life to your spirit (Ephesians 1:13).  And for those of you who have experienced this, you know the feeling that comes upon you when this happens.  You get this fire all up in your spirit as if it has been supercharged (Acts 2:4).  You get this unbelievable desire to serve, praise, and worship God for everything that he has done for you.  And so, let us continue to do our best to enter into this place of rest, this full complete rest that God still has waiting for his people.  Let us enter into this place of rest where we rest from our labors of trying to obey the law.  However, remember to be careful not to disobey God as the children of Israel did; you may fail to get in like they did.

May today’s inspirational message abundantly bless you and greatly inform you.  We pray that you will be the better for having read it.  If blessed by today’s message, please share so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings - KW