I am about to go away for a few days holiday and rest. As I thought about that aspect of rest I was drawn to this passage in Hebrews. In my devotional readings for July and August we have been going through Hebrews almost verse by verse. We don't know who the author of Hebrews is, but the purpose of Hebrews is clear. It is to emphasise and remind us of the sufficiency and superiority of Christ. Continually as we read through the book our attention is re-focused on Jesus - he is always seen as the solution - as being superior in all ways - as being our sufficiency. There is a song we often sing - "In Christ alone my hope is found, He is my light, my strength, my song.
This Cornerstone, this solid ground, Firm through the fiercest drought and storm. What heights of love, what depths of peace When fears are stilled, when strivings cease, My Comforter, my All in All, He is my light, my strength, my song."
When strivings cease…………………..Through these 6 months I have tried to continually focus our attention on Jesus - a reminder for me as well for you. In starting a new role it is very easy to roll up your sleeves and get stuck it - to try and make things happen and carry on without too much change or disruption. But in so doing it is very easy to therefore try and do things in your own way and strength. That may be OK for a little while, but I am sure we all know there is only so long that you can sustain things my human effort on your own. Our own efforts are never enough. It is only in Christ, by his Spirit, that we can accomplish his work.
So I have tried to remind myself to seek God's strength, and wisdom, and leading, and empowering. To stop striving, because I know that as Paul says………I can then do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
But it is human nature for us, isn't it, to fall back and rely on our own abilities. It is the way our society works - we are trained to do things - to be self sufficient - often highly competent and qualified. But………when we leave God out of the equation we do so at our peril, because we will be continually striving to make headway - and that will be tiring - and it may not work out the way God wants it to.
At a recent PALS business ministry committee meeting we were reflecting on how the ministry had got to the point it was at. It had seemed easy. I don't mean easy in the sense that things had just fallen into place without having to do anything. On the contrary a huge amount of prayer and ground work had been done. But suddenly when God's timing was right he brought together the right people, the right circumstances, and the result is that things did "just start to fall into place" There has been a very enthusiastic response and an energy to progress the ministry, and interest to start it in other places. That is a great lesson for me. Some of us have put a great deal of time and effort into developing that ministry, and absolutely happy to do so, but it has only "just started to fall into place" because God's hand has been on it. Without him it would not be gaining momentum the way it is.
We MUST involve Jesus in whatever we do. It will make it a whole lot easier, and it won't sap our energy, but especially because his anointing and blessing will be on it. And I have to be honest - occasionally I forget that aspect of trusting the Lord and I get a bit stewed up wondering what the future holds - usually only for a day or so - but then I remember what God has done for me and how he has led me especially over the past year or two. That causes me to believe that he has my future well and truly planned out and taken care of and I get my act together and trust him that he will continue to lead me. It is putting those two things together - belief and action. That creates trust.
In v2 of the passage that Bronwyn read to us from Hebrews says "….did not combine it with faith." The writer is remembering the Israelites who failed to enter the Promised Land because of unbelief. They could even see the land - they had no doubts it was there - and that it contained everything that God had promised. But they failed to put their belief into action by going in and taking the land - and they ended up wandering around in the wilderness.
Faith is more than mere belief. Faith is acting upon that belief
Do we do that I wonder? It is relatively easy for us to believe that what God says is true isn't it? I think that is probably the case for most of us. But is it another thing entirely for us to have the faith - from having the knowledge - being trusting - and personally committed to act on this belief. Belief needs to be put into action. Someone has said of the church in general………
When all is said and done, more is said than done
Isn't that true? When you think of all the words that are spoken - in sermons - in meetings to organize things - in comparison with action it does really make you wonder if we really are going about things the way God wants us to. It has surprised me to find how much time and energy from many people, for example, is put into preparing for these 2 hours on a Sunday morning. And I do wonder how intentional are we, as individuals, about taking personal responsibility to grow in our relationship with Jesus - to the point that it is truly a personal relationship with him, rather than knowing about him? I hear of people who rely on the Sunday sermons for their feeding. That is fine as long as we go away and do something about what we learn. But does that honestly happen? Look at Hebrews 4:2 again.
How much do we actually retain of what we hear? I am not sure of the percentages, but learning by hearing and observing AND then putting the learning into action is known to be by far the most effective method of learning. It was Jesus' way of teaching his disciples. We must put it into ACTION! And only you and I can do that. No preacher, however great they may be, can do that for us. We have to personally take responsibility. I was talking to someone recently who was asking advice on doing some serious bible study. That person was longing to know how to carry on in his relationship with Jesus. What an example and inspiration to us. We would all do well to make that sort of commitment.
It is so much more than just knowing about Christ. It is knowing him personally. Then we can trust him, and that what he says is true, and we can then act in confidence in that knowledge.
In the comment on the front page of the Wine Press there is a quote from Selwyn Hughes - "If we believe that Jesus is God's Son we are saved, but not that we might sit back and indulge ourselves in the thought. We are saved to serve. We are meant to put our belief into action.
That passage from Hebrews 4 speaks a lot about rest. The Greek word for rest in verse 1 and the remainder of this passage means literally to cease from striving and settle down. The true rest of God comes only for those who adopt the attitude of perfect trust in him. Without that trust how can we possibly enter that perfect rest that God offers? As I explained before, I have my moments when I too see I am not trusting God as I should, but I am reminded of his promise in Jeremiah the hew knows the plans he has for me - to prosper and not to harm………...
How do we enter the perfect rest that God offers? It is very simple. God sent Jesus to be our Saviour and Lord. We must believe that at the moment you believed and openly acknowledged that Jesus is the Son of God you became a Christian (Romans 10:9-10). Believe and confess - belief followed by action = trust and faith. When we really believe this fact and act on it by trusting him - only then can we enter by faith into that perfect rest. Jesus said………
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30). We have to act - to come to Jesus - to take what he offers - then we will receive rest.
To be yoked to Christ is to be taught and guided by him and to share the load. And as we do (like the young oxen used to be yoked to an older one to learn) we too will learn to trust him, that he does know what he is doing, and where to go, and when. That builds trust. And Jesus is gentle and understanding. He won't push us beyond what we are capable of doing or enduring. BUT we have to put that trust into action, and be obedient to him.
Because - God's rest is only for those who adopt the attitude of perfect trust.
So we have to intentionally put that trust into action. Perhaps it seems strange doesn't it, that to enter God's perfect rest, we actually need to be active. But that is God's way. Faith is active. Do we want that place of perfect rest and peace? Then we have to adopt the attitude of perfect trust.
For most of this year Bronwyn has suffered from a bad back pain. After knowing something was not right for many months, and not being able to get any satisfactory advice or answers, we were finally referred to a specialist. He immediately ordered various tests including a C/T scan and some sort of 'oscopy (can't pronounce the real thing!). About 3 hours after the 'oscopy he came and told us "It is all good news. I was able to do a minor procedure at the same time which will fix the problem. There is nothing else there to be of any concern." This was of great comfort. However, the pain persisted for a few days and we managed to get back to see the specialist last Thursday. Again he reassured us - this time actually showing us the C/T scan pictures and some pictures from the 'oscopy - absolutely perfect as he had told us. Here is the point. Here is a highly qualified, highly regarded and respected specialist who has told us there is nothing to worry about. Who better to know? We believed what he told us - it was even there in picture form for us to see. Did it make sense for us to then say - well what if this happens? - Or has he thought about this or that? He is the qualified expert. We believe that, but for his knowledge and advice to be of any use we had to accept it, and act on it - to trust him, and only then when we did could we rest and be at peace about the whole troubling experience.
God wants for us to enter his rest and peace too. And Hebrews 4:11 says we must make every effort to enter that rest. It means for us to understand who God is and what he offers. We have to believe and trust him that it is so - to take him at his word - and to act (that word again) on it by accepting it is for real.
When we do, then we will know God perfect rest and perfect peace - even right now. We don't have to wait for the next life to experience that rest and peace. We can experience it right now in the present. As we heard in verse 7 TODAY is the time for that to be. I encourage you - act today and take God at his word, trust him, and in faith believe him and experience that perfect rest and peace.
Let us close by reading together an old hymn as a prayer:
Dear Lord and Father of mankind,
Forgive my foolish ways!
Reclothe me in my rightful mind;
In purer life Thy service find,
In deeper reverence, praise.
In simple trust like theirs who heard,
Beside the Syrian sea,
The gracious calling of the Lord,
Let me, like them, without a word,
Rise up and follow Thee.
Drop Thy still dews of quietness
Till all my strivings cease.
Take from my soul the strain of stress,
And let my ordered life confess
The beauty of Thy peace.
Amen.
