Enter God's Rest

What treasure is found in the pages of God's word!  For the hungry soul there is satisfaction, for those overwhelmed by troubles there is comfort, for the erring there is correction and for the weary there is rest found by faith in God.  In the C.S. Lewis Chronicles of Narnia books, children visiting their uncle enjoyed exploring his palatial residence.  As if this wasn't interesting or amazing enough, when Lucy ventured into a simple wardrobe she entered another land called Narnia that was filled with talking beasts and adventure.  One sentence, one verse, a single word from God in the scripture is like that:  it opens up a new world of wisdom, light, joy and rest for the one who trusts in the LORD.

Today I was impacted by a detail I had not considered before in Psalm 95:8-11:  "Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, as in the day of trial in the wilderness, ⁹ when your fathers tested Me; they tried Me, though they saw My work. ¹⁰ For forty years I was grieved with that generation, and said, 'It is a people who go astray in their hearts, and they do not know My ways.' ¹¹ So I swore in My wrath, 'They shall not enter My rest.'"  Knowing the historical timeline of the events following the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt is important, for the emphasis is on the 40 years after the children of Israel were barred from entering Canaan for 40 years.  God brought them out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, and gave them His law on Sinai.  When He brought them to the promised land, they listened to the evil report of 10 spies and not to God, Moses, Joshua or Caleb.  Because they refused to enter into the land, even declaring their intention to return to Egypt, God promised for 40 years they would not enter in and that generation would perish in the wilderness.

Now if I was one of those people for whom the window of opportunity to enter Canaan was permanently closed, I would likely have regretted that decision for the rest of my life.  However, that is not what grieved God.  He did not say, "Oh, if only you had entered Canaan when you had the chance!"  His lament was during that 40 years in the wilderness they tempted God, went astray in their hearts and did not know God--despite the daily miracle of manna and His presence physically manifested before them continually.  Though they had not entered into Canaan, there was rest possible for them wherever God led them by the knowledge of God and hearts surrendered to Him in faith.  But because they did not know God or trust Him, they were denied God's rest just like they were barred from the Promised Land.

Rest is not found in a particular point on the globe, in holidays or retirement, or by sleeping in late.  Real rest is found in knowing and trusting God with all our hearts, joyfully following Him wherever He leads us.  This has tremendous application for Christians today who have been born again by faith in Jesus who can feel surprisingly restless, filled with cares, worries and fears.  Could it be that you or I am included in the number of people in the wilderness who tested God in unbelief, those who did not truly know God or walk in His ways even though they were led by God by a pillar of cloud or fire?  Jesus is the One who promised to give rest for our souls through the Gospel, and it is a rest we do not need to fall short of.  Do not imagine the rest God offers by faith is barred for you because of a decision you made 40 years ago.  If the way to rest is shut for you it is because of the unbelief and rebellion in your hardened heart before God right now, and there remains hope and rest in Him.

The writer of Hebrews made it abundantly clear this stopping short of God's rest by unbelief can describe the experience of many Christians today.  Just because the Hebrews did eventually enter the land promised to their fathers it did not follow they entered God's rest.  Hebrews 4:7-11 says, "...again He designates a certain day, saying in David, "Today," after such a long time, as it has been said: "Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts." ⁸ For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. ⁹ There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. ¹⁰ For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. ¹¹ Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience."  Today there also remains a rest for the people of God, a rest made available through faith in Jesus Christ before we enter the eternal state in the presence of God in heaven, through the presence of the Holy Spirit who indwells us.  Instead of believing this rest could be entered into by force (like the Hebrews who later attempted in vain to fight their way in), it is a rest enjoyed by those who have ceased to justify themselves and rely on the work Jesus has done to save, redeem and reconcile us to Himself, our righteousness having been imputed by faith in Him.

It is in this context Hebrews 4:12-13:  "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. ¹³ And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account."  It is through the Bible we learn of God and His ways, and God's word also has much to reveal about us too.  We might be fine with blaming our lack of rest today on our circumstances or the fact we made a regrettable decision long ago for we can be more content to play the victim than to admit we have been drowning in unbelief and rebellion against God because of our hard, obstinate hearts all along.  The word of God cuts through all our excuses and blame and goes right to the heart of the matter, that if we are not experiencing the rest God has promised and provided in Himself it is we who are responsible to repent of our sin and submit to Him, and He is gracious and merciful to change us when we yield ourselves to Him today. :)