So we see that because of their unbelief they were not able to enter his rest.
(Hebrews 3:19)
Last year, in the midst of dealing with a ruptured Achilles tendon and a knee injury, I also struggled with insomnia. That experience lasted for several months, and it was not fun.
After I regained mobility, I attended a workshop that dealt with overcoming sleep issues. I was desperate for help and willing to try various suggestions so my body could get the rest it needed to recover and stay well.
Physical rest is vital to our well-being. So is emotional, mental, and spiritual rest. Without it we suffer—we wrestle with worry about our families and finances. We struggle with angst over what-ifs (that often never happen), and we experience broken relationships. It often comes full circle, affecting our physical health and robbing us of sleep.
God knows our need for emotional, mental, and spiritual rest. And He’s given us the secret to achieving it—obedience.
Hebrews 3:12-19 tells of the Israelites hardening their hearts toward God despite having witnessed His power to rescue them from slavery and to provide for them in the wilderness. They figured they could do their own thing and get away with it, but they learned the hard way. Disobedience resulted in their not experiencing the rest of God.
Spiritual principles never change. Neither does the human heart, it seems. We, too, fail to experience the rest of God when we harden our hearts toward Him.
If we refuse to obey His command to forgive someone who’s hurt us, for instance, bitterness takes root and before long consumes our thoughts toward that person.
If we disobey His command to think on all things good, pure, honorable and instead fill our minds with sexual fantasies, inappropriate behavior will soon follow.
If we refuse to accept a task He’s given us because it appears too big for us, then we’ll fall into fearful thinking and never experience the joy and thrill of seeing Him do amazing things on our behalf.
How can we experience the rest of God? By walking in obedience to His word—by applying His principles to our every day lives. This is the path to peace, the secret to knowing His rest. The only question is: Are we desperate enough for God’s rest that we’re willing to do whatever it takes to find it?
“How Can We Enter God’s Rest?” first appeared on www.gracefox.com/blog.
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