How many of you are tired? How many of you are stressed out and need a break from life as you know it? In many ways we all need to step back from our daily lives and take a deep breath. We might need to reassess some of our priorities and rethink how we approach life in general. Throughout scripture God promises us rest in Him. Don't you just love that very word? Rest. When I think of rest I think of getting away from the things in life that make me crazy or worried or fearful. Wouldn't that be wonderful? The idea of rest might seem impossible sometimes, especially when you think of the hectic lives we all lead. But the beauty of it is things that seem impossible to us are always possible with God.
For the Israelites in the Old Testament, entering God's rest meant entering the Promised Land, a place where they would be free to live and worship God without fear of slavery or persecution. While we might not be called to enter a physical Promised Land, God still offers his rest to us today. But what does that actually mean in a practical sense? What does it look like to rest in God? God doesn't promise that our lives will be easy, but he does promise us hope. When we rest in God we have no reason to fear, because we know that he is always with us. We can have a sense of peace about our lives, even in the midst of struggles and turmoil. I think we all long to get to a place where we experience this kind of rest, but it can be hard to know how to get there.
Hebrews 4:11 says, "Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest." At first glance, you might think it is interesting that the author would tell us to make an effort to enter God's rest. Don't get the wrong idea here. Lots of people read this passage and think it means they need to fill up their schedules with activities that make them better Christians. God doesn't ask us to work harder, because even our righteous acts are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). We could never do enough to earn God's favor and enter his rest. All God asks us to do is to stop running; stop hiding.
We go to great lengths to hide from God, and all our running away from him is in vain. Hebrews 4:13 says, "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account." Just as Adam and Eve tried to cover up their nakedness before God, we too try to hide our sin from him. We spend so much energy trying to avoid being "found out" that we end up exhausted. Not exactly a perfect picture of resting in God is it?
God is never fooled by our fig leaves. He sees our true selves, and he loves us anyway. He knows our tendency to run away from him, yet he still calls us to come to him and find rest in his love. What an amazing truth! When Jesus said "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" he really meant it.
I absolutely love what Hebrews 4:14-16 says: "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Because Jesus sits on the throne and has taken the guilt of our sins, we are able to find this rest that God promises. It is available to us right now in this very moment.
What I see before me, and maybe you see it too, is a choice. I can either keep trying to run from God and make pitiful attempts at hiding my sin from him, or I can lay myself bare before him and ask for forgiveness. Not only does God offer forgiveness and freedom from guilt, but he will give us his rest as well. All we have to do is ask!
If you'd like to hear Kevin's full sermon from last week, check it out here:
Rest in Rethinking--Sermon by Kevin Jamison
oh we miss you, beth! lovely post!
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