God Speaks
God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it. 2 For this good news—that God has prepared this rest—has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn’t share the faith of those who listened to God. 3 For only we who believe can enter his rest. As for the others, God said,
“In my anger I took an oath:
‘They will never enter my place of rest,’”
even though this rest has been ready since he made the world. 4 We know it is ready because of the place in the Scriptures where it mentions the seventh day: “On the seventh day God rested from all his work.” 5 But in the other passage God said, “They will never enter my place of rest.”
6 So God’s rest is there for people to enter, but those who first heard this good news failed to enter because they disobeyed God. 7 So God set another time for entering his rest, and that time is today. God announced this through David much later in the words already quoted:
“Today when you hear his voice,
don’t harden your hearts.”
8 Now if Joshua had succeeded in giving them this rest, God would not have spoken about another day of rest still to come. 9 So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. 10 For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. 11 So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall.
12 For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.
14 So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. 15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
Source: New Living Translation: BibleGateway.com
We Respond
Reflection: Hebrews 4:1 tells us that the rest offered by God still remains accessible to us today. It should be our goal to make sure that we and others don’t fail to avail ourselves of all its blessings. This rest, based on how God rested on the Sabbath after completing His work of creation, is accepting God’s love for us as a gift. It is epitomized by the finished work of Christ on the cross; it is complete trust in God alone as we lovingly listen to and obey Him. It is hearing His voice and not hardening our hearts. If Joshua’s leadership had been enough, there wouldn’t have been a need for the word of God to say it again. The LORD uses the word to pierce and discern the thoughts and intentions of our hearts. Nothing, no one is hidden from His sight; everything is naked and exposed to His love, mercy, and grace. We can confidently (and confidentially) confess our sins to Jesus, the Son of God. He understands by experience what it means to be human and to be tempted, but He never sinned. He pleads before the Father on our behalf. He is better than earthly high priests.
Prayer: Dear Great and Awesome God, who gives His people rest, help us to receive this good news by faith and not miss out as some people did in the past. Jesus is even greater than Joshua. Joshua could only lead the Israelites into the promised land. He couldn’t give them the true rest in You they (and we) so needed. Let us listen to and rely on Jesus, the Living Word, and to the holy scriptures, the written word of God. This will keep us from falling away in disobedience. After all, “the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” You, Lord God, see everything. When it comes time for us to stand before You and give an account, thank You that we can confidently point to Jesus and say, “I am not worthy, but in faith I declare, ‘He paid it ALL.'” That is perfect rest. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will seek to experience the Sabbath rest God intends for me to enjoy.
- I will develop an internal ongoing interactive conversation with the Lord even while I’m working.
- I will take time daily to let the word of God penetrate my heart and expose my sin so that I can confess it to Him and experience His loving forgiveness, correction, and redirection.
- I will memorize Hebrews 4:12 and/or 4:16 and put them into practice.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.