July 6th, 20

JULY6,  HOW TIRED ARE YOU?

Today’s readings are Hosea 10 – 12, Ps 73 , Heb 4.  We are reading from the New Living Translation.

How tired are you?  Are you tired enough to get some rest or are you still working, striving, and working up a sweat?  Let me encourage and implore you to get some rest.  Today if you hear his voice and you’re tired , thirsty, weary, and exhausted – then today, you need to get some rest.  Don’t harden yourself.  Instead, rest.  You’re tired because you’re trying to do it on your own.  You’re tired because your strength is small and you’re still trying to be in control.  This chapter begins with these words:  

God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it.(Heb 4:1 NLT)

This rest is equated with the Good news. This is the Gospel.  The Gospel means rest.  If we fail to rest than we fail to experience the power of the Gospel in our life.  The writer of Hebrews says that we ought to tremble with fear at the thought of somehow missing it.  He’s talking to Christians, here.  Christian – don’t miss it!  We think that our struggles are so unique, that it’s dependent on us, that your circumstances require us to get in there and fix what’s wrong.  We power up and force our agenda, or we turtle up and run from our circumstances and hide from the consequences.  But in Hebrews we learn that we have Someone – a High Priest – that understands our weaknesses.  He faced all the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. We have a high priest who can identify with the temptation to power up and turtle up – yet he didn’t do either of those things.  He stood up, in the power of God.  

So since we have this High Priest with us now, we can come boldly to the throne of our gracious God.  There we will receive His mercy and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.  

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. (Heb 4:!6 NLT)

When we come to the Word of God each day, this Word becomes for us, a sharp two-edged sword.  It divides between soul and spirit, joints and marrow.  It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.

For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. (Heb 4:12 NLT)

The word of God comes and searches us, exposing those parts of our heart that still refuse to rest, that are still trying to power up or turtle up.  The Word of God comes in and shows us where we need to apply the Gospel to our life; where we need to come to his throne for grace and mercy to help us in our time of need.  

How tired are you?  Are you ready for some rest?  The Word of God implores you to heed the call and tremble with fear, at the thought of somehow missing the Gospel.  But don’t tremble for long.  Instead, come and receive all the help and rest that you need.  You have a High Priest in your corner who knows exactly what you are going through and He is ready to give you some rest, now.  Enter into his Rest joyfully, today.

You are loved!