Lately, when people have asked me how I'm doing, I haven't really known what to say to them. On the one hand, I'm not super stressed or overwhelmed with life; I actually feel on top of things for the first time this whole semester.
But on the other hand, I'm just so weary. It's almost as if I don't feel worthy to accept the rest that God has freely given me. Like I feel guilt if everything in my life is going well, after such a long string of bad. And so, when people ask me how I'm doing, I've caught myself on more than one occasion feeling the need to search for (or at least elaborate on) the bad stuff.
Perhaps that why Hebrews 4 hit me so hard today. Verse 1 says, "therefore, since the promise of entering His rest still stand, let us becareful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it."
All this time, I had been thinking, "who am I to live in God's rest?" Like I somehow didn't deserve to rest in Him. But really...who am I not to? He has given me, He has given all of us, rest as a gift; He has commanded that we walk in it. Resting is not just a matter of convenience or comfort - it's a commandment. Refusing to do so is just as disobedient as thievery or deceitfulness. Woah. Kinda puts resting into a whole new perspective, doesn't it?
So the next time you start to think that you're not worthy of the gifts that God has given you - or even that you simply don't have time to rest - just stop right there. If God has given it to you, if He has commanded that you rest...then who are you to say otherwise? He did not command us to observe the Sabbath for His benefit, but for ours. So rather than focusing on reasons why you shouldn't or can't accept God's goodness, try just focusing on and meditating in his goodness, His goodness that gives sorely needed rest to weary souls.
Hebrews 4:1-11
Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. 2 For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed. 3 Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said, “So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’” And yet his works have been finished since the creation of the world. 4 For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: “On the seventh day God rested from all his works.” 5 And again in the passage above he says, “They shall never enter my rest.” 6 Therefore since it still remains for some to enter that rest, and since those who formerly had the good news proclaimed to them did not go in because of their disobedience, 7 God again set a certain day, calling it “Today.” This he did when a long time later he spoke through David, as in the passage already quoted: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” 8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. 9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10 for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. 11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.
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