How ironic is it to say that much spiritual warfare went into a blog post about God’s rest? And yet, how often in the natural world does a powerful military ensure that peace resides? When rest is such a treasured commodity, it must be well guarded and fiercely protected.
Against what? Against busy. Against complacency. Against the “good” that goes counter to God’s plan. Against a hard heart.
Hebrews 3-4 reminds believers of the Israelites not entering God’s rest due to hard hearts, hearts that “are always going astray” (Hebrews 3:10). They wandered the desert and died there rather than entering the promised land, the promised rest. Hebrews 3:12-13 counters “a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God” by compelling believers to “encourage one another daily…so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” How grateful I am for friends, sisters-in-Christ, who respond to transparent, vulnerable brokenness with encouragement that prevents my heart from becoming hard and calloused from pain, from loss, from busy.
And then returning to irony, Hebrews 4:11 says, “Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest…” Effort for rest? Yes. A refrigerator-magnet-worthy verse follows. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword…it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” In context, this beautiful, frilly refrigerator verse seems painful aside from the precision of the word removing calluses from the heart keeping it supple. Like a surgeon conducting open-heart surgery, the word of God, exposes and discriminately discerns what is in our hearts.
This beautiful warfare to keep our hearts soft occurs in the greater context of entering the rest of God. We must make time to protect our time for rest. This, not from a religious works based rule, but out of a desire for relationship with the Father. Attending church from a religious perspective can lead to burn out, but entering God’s rest, lounging with Him, abiding with Him brings life and peace.
God created and it was good and very good and the seventh day He rested. Shabbat, the word for when God rested after creation means to cease, to desist, to rest. Oftentimes, this rest comes not with the cessation of action, but with stopping anxious thoughts. This rest is not dependent upon circumstances. It’s about my soul being still in the presence of God.
In conclusion, a poem:
In a world that values harsh realities, monstrous evils,
Our culture has so distorted truth that we no longer comprehend
Rest, work, ethics,
No longer value
Hope, dignity, life,
A job well-done.
With clouds of deception and the easy way out,
It becomes difficult to maintain sight on joy.
We can
Celebrate
Joy in spite of pain
Treasure
Hope in the midst of fear
Abound with
Faith in the shadow of doubt
Exude
Rest in the place of strife.
How do you draw
Healing,
Hope,
Restoration,
Peace,
Rest,
Joy?
How do you articulate those abstractions when words fall short?
“He leads me beside quiet waters
He refreshes my soul.” Psalm 23:2-3
”Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.“ Psalms 62:5 NIV
”Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him.“ Psalms 62:1 NIV
”Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.“ Matthew 11:29 NIV
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.“ Matthew 11:28 NIV
We want to thank Mary Coleman for sharing this post.
Women's Ministry 