Hebrews 3 :10-11
10 That is why I was angry with that generation,
and I said, 'Their hearts are always going astray,
and they have not known my ways.'
11 So I declared on oath in my anger,
'They shall never enter my rest.'
No doubt, the Israelites were proceeding towards the promised land. But their hearts were wrong. Theirs was an incomplete, interruptive connection to God's heart. Yes, they knew the God of their forefathers, but failed to perceive His ways.God's own chosen priveleged people were always distracted. Therefore they never completely conquered the Promised Land and strife never ceased.
An eternity with the Creator King is the final rest that is kept in store for His precious ones. But while on this earthly tent, God still provides His rest through His manifest presence in our lives. A presence that brings forth an overflowing peace, providence, presence, blessing and guidance which empowers us to fulfill His will.
A gracious God, grieved at heart fails to release His rest on His children when He finds their heart distracted.
The greatest deceit of sin, is to make believe that its ok to 'keep in touch' with it, as long as you don't 'fall' in it.Eventually,it hardens our soul, makes it insensitive to God and progressively drags you away from God.
You may have been warned against falling in sin. God's voice today is to stop you from even looking at sin.
- Fix your thoughts on Jesus -
Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. Hebrews 3:1[NIV]
We glorify God in our actions and words most of the time. But not always in our thoughts. The thought life of a person provides the design map for the production of sin. A wavering mind, a negative thought life, an unchecked emotional imbalance and immoral thinking are all signs of distractions. Sooner or later we become vulnerable for a wide range of spiritual attacks.
We can prevent this, when we let Jesus rule our thought life.
So how does happen ?
- Through Repentance
So, as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you hear his voice,do not harden your hearts" Hebrews 3:7[NIV]
When we repent, we turn back to God. It is not a one time activity that we did on the day of our salvation, rather it is an act of willing submission that needs to be done everyday, whether we're doing it for the fifth of the fifty fifth time.
Repentance gives us a mind set that is always looking at God and depending on Him.It reassures that we are indeed hidden in Christ.Repentance needs to be a lifestyle for every Christian.
Instead, we try doing different things like, getting on a meaningless 'deliverance' prayer spree, talking with lots of people about our problems, trying to serve God for a few days, attending expensive spiritual confrences and seminars. We try all this in vain to connect to God's heart. Nothing moves His heart as much as the silent sighs of a repentant heart.
-And Dependance on Him
So we see that they were not able to enter [into His rest], because of their unwillingness to adhere to and trust in and rely on God [unbelief had shut them out] Hebrews 3:19[Amplified Bible]
Many of us claim to depend on God, but deny that in our thoughts and actions. The result is evident in our lives, our heart gets distracted and our faith gets fractured.
To be able to depend on God to meet our needs, dreams and aspirations is our greatest strength. But the evil one, makes us believe that it is a sign of our weakness. And he offers a lesser and destructive source of strength called 'stubborn will'.
We can still have conversations with God, serve God, be loved and appreciated, but if we are going to depend on our stubborn will to complete things. We'll be nothing but pathetic, weak and unsatisfied wanderers.You'll see a temporary high, when things happen as you think and say, but your stubborn will promises much and performs nothing.
Only God knows your potential, because He designed it, and only He can show you how and where to use it.
We were created for His intentions. So when we begin to live for His intentions, He will provide us with the Faith and the Focus that we need to be able to enter His rest.
Get your heart connected again.
