I have a notebook… In it I keep my thoughts, desires, revelations, invitations, prayers and emotions. My notebook gives me glimpses into my life and reminds me of the ways that God speaks to me. When I write down a thought it usually starts out simple but as I let it saturate in my mind it begins to grow and develop. Every now and then I take something from my notebook and share it here on my blog. Here we go: I have found that the times when I am most prone to sin are those moments when I’m feeling fragile and tired. When I’m tired I usually can’t think straight and I find myself worrying about tomorrow instead of breathing in today. My heart becomes hard and I can’t hear anything that God is saying. All I hear are my problems, and I pass by God on my left and my right, but never even see him. As a great inspiration of mine once said, “What you look for, you will find.” If all I look at is my problems how will I ever see God? If I want to see God I need to look for him. King David said, “Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.” Always… even when I feel fragile and tired. The interesting thing about being tired is that for the most part it is avoidable. We simply have to find time to rest. The writer of the book of Hebrews seems to suggest that there is a correlation between resting andhearing God. Rest (Sabbath) is something we don’t talk about very much, but it’s so important. From the Sabbath of eternity God created the universe. On the seventh day I believe that God not only rested from the work he did, but also for the work he had to do. I believe that out of Sabbath we find ourselves renewed, refreshed and ready for anything to come our way. In Hebrews chapter four, the author talks about God resting and says that we who believe can enter into his rest. At the same time the author also quotes a passage from Psalm 95 which says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” This same passage gets quoted three times. The author is trying to get a point across. Already there seems to be some parallels being drawn, although not clear at first. The author also reminds us about Israel in the dessert. They were disobedient and did not enter into God’s rest, and because of it their hearts were hard. The Israelites turned away from the living God and instead lived in sin and unbelief. But then we get this encouragement in verse nine that says, “There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.” If we enter God’s rest we will not fall! We will not be fragile and tired we will be renewed and filled with the shalom (peace) of God. When we rest in God he softens our hearts and gives us a child like faith so that we can hear him when he speaks. But like every other aspect of our faith we can’t do it alone. We need others to come alongside us to help us. Hebrews 3:12-13 says this: “See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” I love it, because it’s always Today! So may you seek the living God this week. May you see that he is here with us on our left and on our right to renew us and make us strong. May your heart be softened to his as you rest in him. And may you encourage others to rest in God as long as it is called Today!
