Hebrews 4:10-11 “For all who have entered into GOD’s rest have RESTED from their labors, just as GOD did after creating the world. For whoever enters GOD’s rest also rests from his own work, just as GOD did from HIS. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following the same pattern of disobedience.”
The Resting ROCK!
When this up and down motion on Life’s roller coaster
again casts off Hope; detracting from Faith…
Then one questions “The Point” of existing — unstabled.
So the “Why?” of continuing forward is raised.
For the present remains entrenched in past failures;
here our peace and contentment stay shaken.
Redrawn are we backwards Tomorrow…as “Less Than”;
regardless how much Today’s focus on Heav’n,
So where is the promise,“How Firm our Foundation!”…
since Life’s earthquakes shake greater each year?
Every respite which could relieve pain has been fractured;
restrained by Hell’s strands which are branded by Fear.
Where then is Faith’s target in light of such darkness?
What rock solid ground can these feet stand upon?
In HIS footprints, of course, which lead back to HIMSELF!
Rise and stand in each verse, till like HIM, we become!
Hallelujah!
As HIServant cleansed from all unrighteousness by HIS finished work and living for HIM without the delusion that our filthy rags somehow have value,
Whitney
Devotional: “‘Make every effort to enter that rest’…what does that mean? If I stop to rest then I’ll fall short! I don’t have time to rest. No one does!” Help!
Don’t be destroyed for a lack of knowledge. (Hosea 4:6). Our Christian walk daily competes and struggles with the distractions of this world. We strive to give all our attention to CHRIST but there these obstacles still are. Relentlessly shoved in our faces AND it’s like a speed skating, Olympic race or a high-performance drag racer in a quarter mile competition.
Meaning…the margin for victory can be fractions of one second. Milliseconds even. So when we compare our Christian walk and the ultimate goal of heaven and “making it into glory”. We tend to think about our efforts and “measuring up”. We flounder helplessly lifting up sand which falls through our fingers as building material to “lift us up”.
Hasn’t HE been abundantly clear from HIS WORD that we’ve fallen short of HIS glory? Being short then we fall from Grace back to law. Our minds try to envision ways and activities through which we can “bridge the gap” because…that’s what the Law does. It constantly tells us THE LIE that we shouldn’t be / can’t be resting in GOD’s grace.
So….we delude ourselves because these distracting voices in the world are so frequent and so loud. Oh, that deceptive claim that we and our old nature just need to make that last 20 feet into Heaven!
“Yes, to get across the finish line, you just need an extra thrust of your own head or your own vehicles’ front bumper. Else…you go to hell.” Translation? JESUS didn’t pay it all?
But that is just not truth!! Truth is we were dead in our trespasses and sin before anything happened. The truth is no one’s fleshly efforts could ever be valued more than as filthy rags as it says in the Isaiah 64:6.
“For we have all become as one who is unclean, and all our righteousness is as a polluted garment (filthy rags): and we all fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.”
So…we thankfully come back to the perfect truth found ONLY in CHRIST’s finished work! HE is the Author and Finisher of our faith! The Beginning and the End; the Alpha and the Omega! So our gap has already been bridged by HIM and not because we somehow “met HIM halfway”! Didn’t he clearly state “It is finished! on the cross? So what then is the reminder left for us to do? I’m glad you asked!
Given so great HIS redemption of our souls; seeing how we were dead in sin and couldn’t receive, accept, confess, or “perform” any other effort in our lifeless bodies…HE chose to breath life into us. HE chose to draw us to HIM and confirms this by saying in John 6:37 “All that the FATHER has given ME, (and had drawn to ME) I shall not lose one.”
Consider the beautiful following verses which bear witness to HIS Truths and lift us up again after we fall…to serve HIM WHOSE love for us exceeds measuring! John 6:39 “And this is the will of HIM WHO sent ME, that I shall lose none of those HE has given ME, but raise them up at the last day.”
John 6:65 “Then JESUS said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to ME unless the FATHER has granted it to him.” Unless GOD has opened our eyes, no one sees nor comes to HIM!
John 10:28 “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of MY hand.”
So again, what are our efforts for…here on earth? To spread the GOOD NEWS of HIS FINISHED WORK in our place! To serve others selflessly and relentlessly with encouragement and loving correction, reconciling with the Body! Why?
Because we don’t know everything, much less “much” compared to HIS infinite Wisdom. Because we don’t serve to earn nor does our flesh deserve Heaven! Because it’s eternally impossible! We serve then joyfully with great expectations because the price has been fully paid forever…and such Truth overwhelmingly lifts our spirits! In love!
Therefore the efforts of this soul are to see others released from sin and death’s bondage. To watch as HE transforms them into HIServants resting upon The ROCK of Ages…even CHRIST alone!
Hallelujah! Through daily and selfless obedience to HIM, we gain Rest…resting within HIS everlasting arms!
Amen and amen!
2CJC 