January 16, 2025
" Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says; "Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness"”"
- Hebrews 3: 7-9 N(KJV)
Rest is when we enter the manifestation of God’s promise, meaning that His Word has come to pass in our lives. The process is straightforward: God releases a Word, or we discover a promise in the Scripture that relates to our situation. Our responsibility is to believe that Word, holding onto it until, in time, it comes to fruition in our lives.
So, what is unrest? We experience unrest when God’s Word has not yet manifested in our lives. During the journey from God’s promise to its realization – and thus to rest – obstacles can arise that create this unrest. One significant obstacle is rebellion, often seen in the hardening of the heart.
Hardness of heart develops from a repeated refusal to obey what God has said. It is not a sudden occurrence but a gradual process. Take Pharaoh as an example. In Exodus 7:13, it states, “And Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the Lord had said.” His heart hardened through his continuous refusal to let the Israelites go.
Rest is when we enter the manifestation of God’s promise.
As we move toward the manifestation of God’s Word, we encounter other commandments that require our obedience. Ignoring these commandments or attempting to bypass God’s Word jeopardizes the manifestation we seek and places us in a state of unrest. Hebrews 3:7-9 reminds us of the Israelites: “Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: ‘Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness, where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, and saw My works forty years.’”
Hebrews 3:13 adds that the heart becomes hardened through the deceitfulness of sin: “But exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” This deceit often comes through subtle suggestions and counter arguments that contradict what we know to be right.
Romans 7:11-13 further elaborates, saying, “For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me. Therefore, the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good. Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful.” We must recognize that everything sin suggests is a lie. No matter how easy, appealing, or pleasurable it may seem, sin remains sin. If we allow ourselves to be deceived and fall into this trap, our hearts gradually harden, especially when this happens repeatedly, making it impossible to enter God’s rest.
Let us be vigilant, seeking to soften our hearts and remain open to His Word, so we may fully experience the peace and rest that comes from trusting in His promises.
Song of Worship
Into my heart,
Into my heart,
Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.
Come in today, come in to stay,
Come into my heart, Lord Jesus
Prayer - Lord, help me to remain steadfast in believing Your promises. Guard my heart against rebellion and the deceitfulness of sin. Give me the strength to obey Your Word and keep my heart soft, so I may experience the rest and peace that comes from trusting in You. Amen.