So I swore in My wrath, “They shall not enter My rest.”
— Hebrews 3:11
THE WRITER OF HEBREWS is quoting from Psalm 95 concerning the day when the people failed to enter the Promised Land, failed to experience the peace and abundance God wanted to give them.
God has promised us rest. Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). When you receive Jesus as your Savior, one of the first experiences you have is deep peace. Having surrendered, you are no longer fighting against God.
UNBELIEF CAN KEEP YOU FROM ENJOYING THE RICH, FULL LIFE THAT GOD WANTS YOU TO EXPERIENCE IN CHRIST.
God wants you to have a beautiful, placid, unperturbed life—a life of peace and rest. Yet, how few of God’s people really know and experience that perfect peace that passes human understanding? Perhaps that is because we don’t believe His promises. Like the children of Israel, we let the giants in life keep us from taking all that God wants to give us.
Many of you are still in the wilderness in your Christian experience; you still struggle with the flesh, and you’re not gaining ground or conquering anything. You are not living a victorious Christian life.
In our unbelief, we don’t trust Him to do the things He promised He would do. God is saying, “You have been in the wilderness long enough. It is time to move into the Promised Land. It is time to go in and conquer the land.” Take the victories that God has for you and begin to experience the richness and the fullness of life in Jesus Christ. Experience His rest.
Lord, may we follow You into that place of victory.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.