Our modern world demands that we keep ourselves continually
on the move. We are like a huge group of Swedish lemmings, moving together
toward certain death by drowning. There is no time for us to rest. However, our
Creator has provided a place of rest for our soul. When we find this place of “rest”
it will last forever. A Christian should be the happiest person in the world
because they know a secret place of rest.
This spiritual fact is referred to in one of David’s
songs: They are a people whose hearts turn away from me. They
refuse to do what I tell them. So in my anger I took an oath: They will
never enter my place of rest. Psalms 95:10-11 (NLT). Of course He was speaking of Israel
but the book of Hebrews tells us that the offer of spiritual rest is now open
to all people. The New Testament can make this claim because Jesus has made it
possible.
We have
God’s word that this eternal rest is available. The Bible says: God’s rest is there for people to enter, but
those who first heard this good news failed to enter because they disobeyed
God. 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.” Heb 4:6-7.
A place of rest is wonderful in this demanding
world. But “the rest” that God gives can save both our physical and spiritual
lives. The stress in this world can cause men’s hearts to stop beating and then
they face judgment for their life. When we ask for God’s rest there is a
warning given. The Bible is telling us that if we allow unbelief to live in our
soul, our place of rest will be destroyed. Our eternal home depends on this
“rest”.
The writer
of Hebrews continues: 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. Heb 4:9-11 (NLT). It is
vitally important that we stay in God’s rest. We simply must guard our heart.
Time after
time we realize our need for the Spirit to live in us. When we continue our
life in the “rest” of God our growth is amazing. This is growth given to us by
the Spirit. Somehow we have the mistaken idea that our growth is something that
we do. This is a worldly idea. If we think that we are responsible for our
growth then we cannot be in the “rest” of God. Christians have a High Priest
who directs our life in the “rest”.
Jesus told
a story about a worldly man who thought he could find rest by himself. Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my
barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat
and other goods. And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have
enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be
merry!”’ Luke 12:18-19 (NLT). This man died without finding God’s rest.
Christians
are seeking a special rest that it can only be found in the Glory of God. This
Glory is very ancient and it was brought to earth by Jesus in order to make it available
to humans. One great miracle in the redemption of people is that we are being
allowed to enter into the eternal Glory of our Creator. When Jesus told his
disciples He was giving his peace to them it was a reference to the place of rest
contained in the Glory of God.
