Hebrews 4:7, 9-11
"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.” ...So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall."
[emphasis mine]
While I now know that a little nap can be such a blessing; as a child I hated naptime! Not because little Quahana didn't need a nap from all the ripping and running that I squeezed into my packed schedule of school, juice, crackers, playground and repeat, but because I saw no good reason to waste perfectly sweet daylight by snoozing [ask my teachers and my momma!]. I had toys to play with, pictures to draw, swings to swing and rocks to climb versus a rubber mat in a chilly dim room of tired, cranky children. But by the time I got home, did schoolwork, had more playtime and dinner; exhausted and cleansed, I gleefully slept soundly, assured that I had satisfactorily accomplished all my tasks. For me that was a rest of completion. As an adult, I am constantly having to remind myself to rest, not so much in the natural anymore, but in the spiritual. And you know what else? A Sabbath rest, like the one God took and the one that Jesus provides, is a rest of completion. And some of us still need to enter that rest.
As Christians that is what God wants and models for us. Not refusing to rest like daytime little Quahana, but choosing to rest like nighttime little Quahana. Resting in what? The finished work of Christ, that's what. In this passage, the Apostle Paul is alluding to and reminding the Hebrews of four things: 1. A promised rest, 2. God's rest after His finished creation, 3. Their disobedient predecessors missed out on this promised rest and 4. Christ's finished work. After God created EVERYTHING He rested, not from exhaustion, but from completion. And immediately prior to giving up His Sprit on the Cross, Jesus declared, "It is finished." Again, completion not fatigue. Sin, Death and the Grave were conquered by His Death, Resurrection and Ascension and therefore He had completed the earthly tasks God had set out for Him to do and He sat down! How do we enter that rest? By hearing and heeding the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and resting in Jesus' finished work, just like God rested from His finished work of Creation.
This means not resting in or relying on our own strivings, works and earthly labors as attempts to earn our salvation or by adhering to manmade legalistic standards not of God. But listen up: Rest does not equal lazy, idle or slothful! God's Word speaks at length on the dangers of laziness [just see Proverbs' many admonishments linked below], but it also speaks highly of the joys of resting. What does resting look like for us as Christians? It looks like contentment and confidence that because IT IS DONE, I am not done in! I am not done in by the Devil; I am not done in by death; I am not done in by the world; and I am not even done in by my own flesh. When I rest in Christ's finished work, I can have no worry, no anxiety, and no stress because I am relying on Him and not on myself. Let me reiterate this sentiment from my very first blog: This is the cushiest place we can be. Everything is certainly not perfect, but here we are daily being perfected into His image and character as we yield to Him. This leaves joyful expectation that I can accomplish much by His Power that lives within me. And the funny thing I wish I had learned much sooner is that resting in God spiritually, gives me sweet sound sleep physically! Wouldn't you sleep better knowing you don't have to carry heavy burdens on your own or worry about what you will eat, drink or wear? As a natural born hard worker, there have been many, many times when I ran myself ragged attempting perfection in school, in work and in life when I could have simply had faith that: While I am resting, God is working things out on my behalf. And He faithfully did so each time.
So, because God rested after His work and Christ completed His work, we can rest in that. Jesus died for us and when we accept Him, we are freely saved and outrageously forgiven, we don't have to work for it. Now does God mind us working? Not at all, in fact, He encourages and tasks us to work diligently unto Him and for His Kingdom whether in active ministry, in the marketplace, in the world, in the home or all of the above. Think about it. God gave Adam a pretty significant job, as He did for all those He called according to His purpose, including Jesus. But notice, that God always provided Kingdom helpers and opportunities for rest. We see Jesus frequently ministering with His Disciples and then resting, whether by withdrawing in solitary prayer or sleep, because let's face it, Jesus was the hardest working man in the world [sorry, it wasn't James Brown! God rest his soul.]
The Master is calling the faithful and all those that fear Him in reverence and awe not to miss out on this promise of rest. Will you combine your hearing with your faith and rest in Him? He promises it will be the best rest you ever had!
Takeaways for you to remember:
#1. God rested on the seventh day, but He never sleeps nor slumbers.
#2. Jesus' sacrifice signified that His work on earth was done.
#3. Stride [not strive] to enter God's rest.
Yours in Christ!
Dr. Quahana
Want to enjoy some of the Scriptures inspiring this entry? [NLT version unless otherwise noted.]
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