Finding God’s Rest

I have been spending a good part of the summer in Hebrews. Here are some thoughts from Chapter 4.

It begins talking of a standing to promise to enter God’s rest and to fear not finding it. The first questions that came to my mind were “how do you miss it” and “how do you find it?”

To sum it from my study of the chapter: God’s rest is found as a result of living by a faith that leads to surrendered obedience to God in all matters of life. Obedience leads to rest.

The more I thought about this the more I have seen this played out in my own life. When I am disobedient in areas of my life I find very little ‘rest.’ This lack of rest is displayed in the conviction of my heart over sin, to lack of peace in my heart, to and inability to focus on anything until the sin is dealt with, to the lack of physical rest – not sleeping at night.

Obedience to God is the precursor to finding the promise of rest that comes from God.

The author of Hebrews says the word of God is the tool used to reveal the disobedient places – the places lacking rest. It is the only tool able to penatrate and expose the truth of who we are.

Living a life of faith that leads to surrendered obedience to God in all areas of life requires a life emmersed in the pages of God’s word – then rest will come.

Jesus Changes Everything!

Here are some thoughts from a current study of Hebrews 1 – It is a basic outline and implications of the truths found.

I. God spoke to us by his Son (v.1-4)
A. Appointed heir of all things
B. Created the world through the Son
C. Radiance of God
D. Exact Imprint of God
E. Upholds the universe
F. Remedy for Sin
G. At the right hand of God
H. Superior to the angels

II. More about the Son
A. God said he was His Son
B. Angels will worship Him
C. Throne is forever
D. Upright
E. Loves righteousness; hates wickedness
F. Laid the foundations of the earth
G. He Remains
H. Never changes – as no end

III. How the Son changes my living
A. If God spoke to us by His Son – He has spoken in the most intimate of ways

b. If Jesus is the heir of all things – then everything belongs to Him and my stewardship must reflect His ownership.

C. If God created the world through Jesus – then He is the sustaining force and power behind it. There is nothing greater than Jesus. Therefore trust in any one or any thing else is idolatry.

D. If Jesus is the exact imprint of God – then God is revealed Himself in the realest of ways and the life of Jesus will always reflect the heart of God.

E. If Jesus is the remedy of my sin – then I am saved from sin and life is altered in every way to reflect my salvation.