Holiday Or The Lord's Rest?

This blog pertains to the following scripture passages Hebrews 2-10, Psalms 95-97, and Proverbs 19. 

Its summer & the season for holidays! The weather has improved, work usually slows down, children are off school, people are away … HOLIDAYS!!!  

Yet this week’s Bible passages refer again & again to the Lord’s Rest. Something special but something God’s people keep missing through unbelief and their actions & thoughts. Something so frustrating to the Lord that it actually angers Him & causes Him to make an oath (very serious promise or ruling) “They will NEVER enter my place of rest” (Psalm 95:11 and Hebrews 3:11). Never – that’s serious & extreme.  

The Lord’s Rest is not just a break or holiday but a shift from our self-efforts to actual dependency upon the Lord. It is a shift of focus as much as a shift of effort. Hebrews 4:9 calls it “a special rest that is still waiting”. A rest that comes with a warning “If only you would listen … and not harden your hearts … or test and try my patience … or refuse to do what I tell them” (Psalm 95:7-10).  

Yet this week’s Bible Readings start with a wonderful picture of God’s people being raised higher than the angels and being given authority over all things (Hebrews 2:6-8). All made possible because Jesus was “made a little lower than the angels … tasted death for everyone … through his suffering … bring them [us] into salvation” (Hebrews 2:9-10).  

But “because of their unbelief they were not able to enter His rest” (Hebrews 3:19). This gospel was preached … to them [and us] … but they did not mix the message with faith or unite with faith (Hebrews 4:2 NKJV & AMP)  

They did not mix the message with faith? Yet we are invited to “come boldly to God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).  

Romans 10 explains more fully “since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. Christ is the culmination (summary & fulfilment) of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes” (Romans 10:3-4).  

Self-effort is the big issue! Self-dependency, self-sufficiency, self-promotion. All of this is the opposite of trusting the Lord. The more we try … the less we see the Lord’s Rest. The more we trust in Him … the more we find REST.  

Holiday or the Lord’s Rest? Which we are going to choose? What needs to change in us or in our thinking to enable us to enter His Rest?