REST

“There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.” Human rest involves physical and mental rejuvenation, something we all need, but this is not the rest the writer of Hebrews is referring to. “For he who has entered His (God’s) rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.” The rest referred to in these verses is not merely a rejuvenation of our natural energy, rather the exchange of our natural life for Christ’s divine life. Saints, we are pilgrims in a foreign land -- far from our real home -- living in a decadent stress filled world which wants to destroy our faith and neuter our testimony. We desperately need to be filled with the divine energy of the all sufficient Christ-Life – the river of living water – to live effective radiant lives.

Our Christian journey here is difficult, made doubly so by walking in the power of our flesh – relying on human rest to rejuvenate. But when we choose to submit our carnal fleshly nature to death in exchange for Christ’s divine nature, we begin to walk in the Spirit of His resurrected life – no longer Self-reliant  but fully Christ-Reliant – having the power and energy of the Godhead! The life of a saint is not meant to be easy – Jesus said “Narrow is the gate”: There is only one way to access the Kingdom of God… Jesus!   “And difficult is the way which leads to (eternal) life”: “The Way” will be difficult but it is also meant to be victorious… overcoming… endued with supernatural power. “And there are few who find it”: If you are expecting countless billions of people to share God’s Kingdom… think again. There are “few” who find eternal life, and “few” who find the rest of God.

“Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest.” The word “diligent” ( Gk. Spoudazo) means to pursue with conscientious care and carries the sense of earnest, eager, haste, zeal and commitment. And yes, it is a command. We must abide in the Rest of God to experience the “Peace of God” that surpasses all understanding, and the “Joy of the Lord” that releases supernatural strength. Rest, Peace, and Joy should be our daily reality as we journey on The Way home to God’s eternal Kingdom. It’s a spiritual journey… walking in the Spirit… by faith…

LEST ANYONE FALL …

LEST ANY OF YOU COME SHORT OF IT…

(Heb. 4:1-11; Matt. 7:14; Phil. 4:7, Neh. 8:10)