Entering into God's Rest (Thursday, Week 1, Year 1)

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Hebrews 3:7-14 begins with a quotation from Psalm 95:7-11 – “Today, when you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the REBELLION, on the day of TESTING in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test… And I swore in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my REST”. The expressions “rebellion” and “the day of test” refer to the story told in Exodus 17:1-7 and repeated in Numbers 20:1-13. 


Those passages tell of an incident of rebellion against God on the part of the people of Israel as they journeyed to the Promised Land through the desert. Because they found no water to quench their thirst, they murmured against Moses, gave up their trust in God and regretted that they had ever left Egypt. Moses was told to speak to a rock for water to gush out for the people. But out of anger, Moses struck the rock instead of speaking to it. Because of this act of distrust and disobedience, Moses and some elders of Israel were barred by God from entering the Promised Land. To those Israelite desert wanderers, the Promised Land was the “place of rest”, and it was often called the “REST” (cf. Deut. 12:9). The point is that the disobedience and the distrust of the people of Israel debarred many of them from the blessings of God that they might have enjoyed.


Imagine that the leper (in Mk. 1:40-45) did not believe that Jesus could make him clean! Imagine that he never went to Jesus to beg for healing! Imagine that he never trusted that Jesus could make him clean! He might have remained in his leprous situation. With faith and trust, he knelt before Jesus and begged Him to make him clean. The immediate result of this simple act of faith was that his instant healing.


Many of us have often debarred ourselves from many blessings of God just because of disobedience and deep distrust. We hardly trust ourselves, not to talk of trusting God. The blessings of God can come in different forms and packages. It can come in the form of success in exam or business; it can come in the form of good health or promotion at the workplace, etc. Israelites’ entry into the “Promised Land” was never automatic. Trust, obedience and hard work were preconditions. Begin today to trust in yourself; have some trust in the system and absolutely trust in God! Obey simple rules and principles for success! Work hard to achieve your goals! 


Prayer:

In all things and in every situation, Lord Jesus, may I never find myself lacking in TRUST, Amen!


Have a faith-filled day!



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