Tag: rest

Categories
Ruth Devotionals

Finding rest

Rest

My daughter, shouldn’t I find rest for you… (Ruth 3:1)

I was just thinking on the idea of “rest” in this chapter.

Ruth found rest by trusting Naomi, and even more so by trusting Boaz.

Had Boaz not been the honorable man he was, Ruth could have found herself in real danger. But she trusted that her redeemer was good, and she found rest as a result.

That was in stark contrast to the Israelite people of that time. By not trusting their Redeemer, they repeatedly lost their “rest” (Judges 1:18-19, 2:11-12, 3:30-4:2, 5:31-6:2).

I’m thinking about people right now who have lost their rest because they lost their trust that their Redeemer is good.

I don’t want to be like that.

I choose to be like Ruth, trusting my Redeemer is good and his promise true.

Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)

Categories
Matthew Devotionals

Words of grace, words of judgment

What struck me today were the words of grace and judgment coming from Jesus’ mouth in this chapter.

The words of judgment were for the cities who had failed to respond to his call to repent, despite all the miracles he had shown them.

And ultimately, that was the line that Jesus always drew throughout his ministry. He called people to repentance.

It was the message he preached (Matthew 4:17), and when he sent out his disciples to preach, he gave them the same message (Mark 6:12).

And if people didn’t repent, he warned them of judgment. (Luke 13:1-8, John 5:14)

But at the same time, Jesus’ words were full of grace. To John, whose faith was shaken after being thrown into prison, Jesus gave words of encouragement.

And to people who were burdened by the guilt of their sin, to those weighed down by all the legalistic rules the religious leaders had put on them (Matthew 23:4), Jesus offered rest.

But it’s a rest that only comes with repentance and putting our trust in him.

It’s a message reminiscent of what Isaiah once told the Israelites.

In repentance and rest is your salvation,
in quietness and trust is your strength,
but you would have none of it. (Isaiah 30:15, NIV)

That was the problem with the people of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. And Jesus judged them for it.

But to those with soft hearts, even though they may struggle with feelings of guilt or doubt, Jesus is full of grace.

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens—Jesus the Son of God—let us hold fast to our confession.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin.

Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need. (Hebrews 4:14-16)

Categories
Matthew Devotionals

A life of rest

Life of rest

Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

These are among Jesus’ most famous words. And they contrast sharply with his rebuke of the experts of the law.

Then he said: “Woe also to you experts in the law! You load people with burdens that are hard to carry, and yet you yourselves don’t touch these burdens with one of your fingers. (Luke 11:46)

I suppose the question to ask ourselves is this: as we live this Christian life, are we feeling exhausted? Burdened?

Often times we suffer exhaustion because of the burdens of expectations.

The expectations people have of you.

Your own expectations of yourself.

The expectations (you think) God has of you.

And as we face these expectations, they all say the same thing, “You’re not good enough.”

We feel that from those around us.

We feel that about ourselves.

And worst of all, we think God is saying that of us as well.

But that is not a life of rest.

And so Jesus says, “Come to me. Don’t run from me. I don’t condemn you for your sins and failures. I died for those things.

“My Father already accepts you as his son, as his daughter. You don’t have to prove your worth to him. Rest in my grace. Rest in my love.”

Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you. Don’t take the yoke of expectations that others put on you. That yoke is heavy. And most times, you won’t be able to bear it. To them, you are never good enough.

“Instead take on my yoke. It is a yoke that is full of grace, not condemnation. More, it is a yoke that you don’t carry alone. I am there right beside you, carrying it with you. So even if you stumble, its weight will not crush you.”

And he says, “Learn from me. You might be a slow learner, but that’s okay. I’m a gentle and patient teacher.

“I won’t give up on you like others might. Learn how I think. Learn how I do things. And just keep taking the next step forward. I’m in no hurry. Don’t worry if others are moving faster than you are. We have time. We have eternity.”

That’s a life of rest.

How about you? Are you completely burdened and exhausted by the Christian life? Or are you living a life of rest?

Categories
Hebrews Devotionals

The reason for our hope

Hebrews

We saw in my last post that in Jesus we find rest because Jesus himself finished the work of salvation for us.

And in these chapters (and for that matter, in the previous chapters as well), the author of Hebrews expands on that idea, giving us the reason for our hope.

Ultimately, the reason is found in chapter 9, verse 26.

But now [Jesus] has appeared one time, at the end of the ages, for the removal of sin by the sacrifice of himself.

And the writer of Hebrews says that by that one sacrifice, we have now been sanctified, made pure and right before God (10:10).

We don’t have to somehow clean ourselves up before God before he’ll accept us. Jesus has already made us clean in the Father’s sight, and he remembers our sins no more (Hebrews 10:17).

That’s the reason for our boldness before the Father. We can walk right into the presence of God without fear because we have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus (10:19-23).

At least, that’s how we should be.

Do you ever feel, however, that you’re not good enough? That you are somehow still stained before the Father?

Do you feel ashamed to stand before him? Do you feel there’s something more that you should have to do.

The writer of Hebrews makes it clear: You are forgiven. And where sins is forgiven, there is no longer any offering that must be made for your sin (10:18).

Not by Jesus. Not by any priest or pastor. And not by you. It’s all done.

So rest. Throw away your feelings of guilt and inadequacy. God accepts you not for what you have done, but because of what Jesus has done for you.

No, you don’t deserve his love. No one does. But God has set his love on you.

Think on that. Meditate on that. Believe it.

And enter his rest.

Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

Categories
Hebrews Devotionals

Striving…to rest

Hebrews

I’ve been reading these chapters over and over, and as I do, I wonder, how much do we rest in Jesus?

The writer of Hebrews says,

Therefore, a Sabbath rest remains for God’s people. For the person who has entered his rest has rested from his own works, just as God did from his.

Let us then make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall into the same pattern of disobedience. (Hebrews 4:9-11)

So many people still act as if they somehow have to prove themselves to God. For many, they think that God is pleased with that attitude.

But actually, God calls it sin. He calls it disobedience.

Why?

Because God’s work of salvation is already done.

Just as God rested after creating the heavens and the earth, when Jesus finished his work on the cross, ushering in the path towards a new creation for us all, he sat down on the Father’s side…and rested.

There are no more sacrifices he needs to make, unlike the priests of the Old Testament who had to continually make sacrifices year after year. When Jesus died on the cross, he cried out, “It is finished.”

And it is that rest that we are called to enter into. A rest instituted by Jesus because of what he did on the cross.

For us to say, “But I still don’t feel right before God. I need to do something more to prove myself,” does not please God, it insults him. And it spits on the cross of Christ and all he did for us.

We’re saying, “Jesus, I know you said the work of salvation is finished. But I don’t believe you. I have to do something more to earn the Father’s favor.”

It’s that kind of distrust in what God said that led to a whole generation of Israelites perishing in the wilderness. They never did enter the rest God had planned for them.

And so the Holy Spirit tells us,

Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion. (Hebrews 3:7-8)

And again,

Let us then make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall into the same pattern of disobedience. (Hebrews 4:11)

So let us not insult Jesus by telling him, “What you did is not enough.”

Because of what Jesus did, he is now the source of our salvation. (5:9)

What he did is enough.

So let us trust. And let us rest.

To do anything else is nothing short of disobedience.

Categories
Hebrews Devotionals

Ignoring the word of Jesus

Hebrews

In my last post, we saw how Paul told Timothy, “Remember Jesus Christ.”

Here we see similar words by the author of Hebrews: “Consider Jesus.” (Hebrews 3:1)

I have probably read Hebrews dozens of times, but as I’ve been reading it through this time, I’m starting to see what the author is saying more clearly.

I’ve always seen how he was talking about the superiority of Christ: to angels, to Moses, to the priests, to the animal sacrifices.

But this time, something else struck me even more strongly: Why was the writer of Hebrews talking about all this?

I’ve mentioned in my first blog postings on Hebrews, that the book of Hebrews was written by a Hebrews (Jew) to the Hebrews, telling them to stop acting like Hebrews and start acting like Christians.

In other words, because of persecution, these Jews were being tempted to go back to their old Jewish rituals in order to obtain their salvation. But the only way to do so would be to turn their backs on Jesus and his message of salvation.

And that was the main point of all that the writer of Hebrews was warning against in these four chapters (and for the rest of the book for that matter.)

In chapter 1, the writer says,

Long ago God spoke to the fathers by the prophets at different times and in different ways. In these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son. (Hebrews 1:1)

He then lists the qualifications of Jesus:

  1. He is the heir of all things.
  2. He is the creator of the universe.
  3. He is the radiance of God’s glory.
  4. He is the exact expression of God’s nature.
  5. He sustains all things by his powerful word.
  6. He was confirmed by the Father as God’s Son.
  7. All the angels worship him.
  8. His throne will last forever.
  9. He is flawless in justice and  righteousness.
  10. He is eternal.
  11. All things are put under his rule.

And it is because Jesus is all these things, the writer of Hebrews says this,

For this reason, we must pay attention all the more to what we have heard, so that we will not drift away. (Hebrews 2:1)

Why? Because if the law which was brought to Moses by angels was binding and required obedience on pain of punishment, how much more is the word of Jesus binding on us and requires our obedience?

How do we dare ignore the message of salvation he brings.

And the writer makes it clear that it was Jesus himself that spoke of this salvation that we have, right after his resurrection from the dead. (Luke 24:44-47)

The apostles then testified to that same message. (Acts 2:22-39, among other places.)

For that matter, God in Trinity attested to this message that Jesus brought: the Father through signs and wonders, and the Holy Spirit through the distribution of his gifts.

In chapter 3, the writer then points out that Jesus is the Son over God’s house, and that we ourselves our God’s house.

The implication? That we are answerable to Jesus. And we are to obey him.

And then here’s the kicker. The writer quotes Psalm 95, something that clearly refers to Yahweh, and applies it to Jesus.

Today, if you hear his (Jesus’) voice,
do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion…(Hebrews 3:7-8)

In the desert, they tested Jesus, and so Jesus swore to them in his wrath, “They will never enter my rest.” (3:11)

No less than three times in chapters 3 and 4 does the writer reiterate, “Don’t harden your heart to Jesus’ voice. For if you do, you will never enter his rest.”

And so the writer encourages us,

Therefore, a Sabbath rest remains for God’s people. For the person who has entered his rest has rested from his own works, just as God did from his.

Let us then make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall into the same pattern of disobedience. (Hebrews 4:9-11)

But then he warns us,

For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow.

It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. No creature is hidden from him, but all things are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give an account. (4:12-13)

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Jesus himself is called “the Word of God” by John.

And the writer of Hebrews warns us: we cannot simply ignore him. For everything is exposed before him and we will give an account to him for what we’ve done.

And again, the main point of this whole passage is Jesus’ specific word on the way of salvation. There is no other way but through him.

So many people want to say that there must be other ways. That God wouldn’t be so narrow as to limit the way of salvation to Jesus.

But there is no rest or peace apart from Christ. There is no salvation apart from him. And if you choose to ignore him and his message of salvation, only his wrath remains.

As John put it,

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them. (John 3:36)

How about you? What will you do with the word of Jesus?

Categories
Psalms Devotionals

Striving…to rest

Psalms

As I read Psalm 62 today, I saw it in a different way from how I’ve always seen it.

David writes,

I am at rest in God alone;
my salvation comes from him. (Psalm 62:1)

And again,

Rest in God alone, my soul,
for my hope comes from him. (5)

Obviously, David is talking about resting in God in times of trouble. And he was looking for physical salvation from his enemies.

But today, I looked at this psalm from a spiritual point of view.

So often we strive to be holy. Or we strive to succeed in ministry.

Now those are good things, but for what reason are we striving?

For many Christians, we still feel somehow that we need to earn God’s favor. “Oh yes, I’m saved by grace. But I’ve got to prove to God that he made a good choice in saving me.”

And so we pour all our time and energy in trying to prove ourselves to God. (And to others, for that matter. “I’m a good Christian! See all that I’m doing?).

The result? We get tired. We burn out.

But God says, “Rest. You have nothing to prove to me. I love you. I chose you. You’re already mine. Rest.”

And if we can truly understand that, our whole motivation for everything we do changes.

We strive to be holy, we strive to serve God’s kingdom, not to prove ourselves to God or others, but out of a heart of joy and gratitude. Because we are already accepted. We are already loved. We are already saints.

Are you tired because of ministry? Are you burnt out from trying so hard to be holy?

Rest in God. Your salvation comes from him. And if you must strive, strive as the writer of Hebrews commands us.

 Let us then make every effort to enter [God’s] rest. (Hebrews 4:11)

Categories
Hebrews

The need for faith

Hebrews

Many people want to know God’s blessings in life. Many people want to find true life and joy. But far too few are willing to put their trust in God in order to obtain these things.

That’s the problem that the writer of Hebrews addresses in this chapter. He talks about a day of “rest” that comes from God.

There’s a three-fold meaning to that. One is the rest of no longer trying to work to gain our salvation, and simply putting our faith in Christ.

The writer says in chapter 4,

There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. (Hebrews 4:9-10)

Here we see the true meaning of the Sabbath day as pictured in the Old Testament. God gave the Jews a picture of the true joy and contentment that comes from trusting in him.

Once a week, they would not work or labor, trusting God to provide for their needs. And in doing so, they found rest and peace from all their labor.

In the same way, when we put our trust in God and Christ’s work on the cross, we find rest from all our efforts to save ourselves and we find peace with God.

Secondly, we find peace and rest in our daily lives. Though we may have troubles, because we trust in God, we don’t panic or live in anxiety. Rather, we rest in the peace of God that surpasses all comprehension. (Philippians 4:7)

And finally, the day will come when we will truly rest. All the struggles and trials of life will be over and we will see Jesus face to face.

This was a rest that another “Jesus” couldn’t provide.

It may surprise you to know that Jesus and Joshua are the same name in Greek. And while most modern Bibles translate Hebrews 4:8 “Joshua”, the name is exactly the same one used for “Jesus.”

However, to avoid confusion, the translators used “Joshua” to point to the Old Testament figure.

What did Joshua do? He provided rest in the sense that he brought the people into the land God promised them.

But their rest was never complete there. Why? Because they failed to trust God. When things got tough in their battles against the inhabitants there, they gave up and settled for what they had conquered.

And so for the Jews and for all people today, there remains a day of rest that will come only when we fully put our trust in God. But as I mentioned before, the problem is too few do.

We see this all the way back in Egypt where the Israelite slaves labored for years. They longed for rest. They longed for salvation. They longed for true joy and life.

Moses promised that God would give it to them, and they followed him. But from the very beginning, you could see that they were lacking in faith.

You see it when Pharaoh made them work harder because of his confrontation with Moses.

You see it at the Red Sea when they were trapped by Pharaoh’s army.

You see it in the desert when they longed for food and water.

And you see it when they refused to enter the land God had promised because they feared the inhabitants.

They said they wanted life and joy. They said they wanted rest and the blessings of God. But ultimately, they never believed.

As a result, they never did enter the land. They all died in the desert. It was their children that entered, and again, even their children never entered into true rest because of their unbelief.

That’s what the writer of Hebrews was warning against.

There were many Jews among his readers that heard the message of the gospel, and like the Israelites coming out of Egypt, were drawn by it. But they never really believed and fell away. (4:2)

So the writer warns them time and again, “Don’t be like them. If you do, will never enter God’s rest. You’ll never find true life.” (4:11)

How about you? Do you want to find life and joy. Do you want to know God’s blessing in your life?

Then you need to trust God and his Word. It is God’s word that will test where your heart really is, and if you truly trust God. And it is by his word that God will judge you. (4:12-13)

What will he find when he does?

Categories
Psalms

Refusing to give in to fear

Psalms

Psalm 11 reminds me somewhat of what happened to Nehemiah.

In an attempt to get the Jews to stop their work on the walls, their enemies bribed a priest to make Nehemiah think his life was in danger and to get him to hide in the temple. But Nehemiah said,

Should a man like me run away? Or should someone like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go! (Nehemiah 6:11)

In the same way, David wrote,

In the Lord I take refuge.

How then can you say to me:
“Flee like a bird to your mountain.

For look, the wicked bend their bows;
they set their arrows against the strings
to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart.

When the foundations are being destroyed,
what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:1–3)

David and Nehemiah had one thing in common. They refused to give in to fear. Rather, they put their trust in the Lord.

People would have had them panic, saying, “Everything is falling apart! What are we going to do?”

But they stood firm, and would not be moved. David wrote about the confidence he had, saying,

The Lord is in his holy temple;
the Lord is on his heavenly throne.

He observes everyone on earth;
his eyes examine them.

The Lord examines the righteous,
but the wicked, those who love violence,
he hates with a passion. (4–5)

In other words, “God is here. He sees what’s going on. He’s in control. He is watching over me, and he will deal with those who would do me harm.”

Then he finishes by saying,

For the Lord is righteous, he loves justice; the upright will see his face. (7)

How about you? Do you have a similar confidence in the Lord? When the world around you seems to be falling apart, do you give in to panic?

Or have you made the Lord your refuge? Have you put your complete trust in him, knowing that he has his hand on you even if you can’t see it?

As Isaiah wrote,

In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength. (Isaiah 30:15)

Let us not be like the Israelites who gave into their fear.

Let us instead be like Nehemiah and David who put their full trust in the Lord who is faithful.