Topic: Entering His Rest [Wednesday 14, June 2017]
Memorise: Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. – Hebrew 4:11
Read: Hebrews 4:7-11 (KJV)
7 Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
Bible in One Year: Joshua 23-24, Jeremiah 48:45-49:13, Hymn: Sing hymn 2
MESSAGE:
Psalm 23:1-6 is a very powerful psalm which speaks of the relationship between the sheep and the Great Shepherd, Jesus Christ. God’s sheep enjoy many benefits, one of which is the entitlement of rest. If you are a bona fide sheep of Jesus Christ, His rest is made available to you. When the Psalmist says “He makes me to lie down”, he simply speaks about entering into God’s rest. The rest that the Good Shepherd offers His sheep can be at several levels. Some people are labouring so hard in search of the salvation of their soul. They want to be free from sin, and yet the more they labour to be free, the more entangled they find themselves. If only they can come to Jesus today, they will find the salvation they have been seeking. Jesus Christ is the final destination for everyone who genuinely desires salvation.
Another kind of rest that the Good Shepherd offers is bodily rest. Ordinarily, after a hard day’s work, by the time you hit the bed, you should fall asleep. However, do you know that there are people who find it so difficult to sleep? They stare at the ceiling all night until the following morning. This continues for days, weeks or even months. Psalms 127:2 says if you are beloved of God, you will surely have rest through sleep. Do you suffer from insomnia? Has it been so difficult for you to get a good night’s sleep? That sleeplessness is terminated today! From now on, you shall access God’s rest in Jesus’ Name!
In addition, the Good Shepherd offers rest to those who labour continuously without rest. Matthew 11:28 says,
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
One way the devil has led some people into their ultimately death is by heaping so many problems, burdens, debts and heavy responsibilities on them which they cannot carry, thereby frustrating their efforts to enter into financial freedom. The more they labour, the further they drift from success. If you are in that situation, do not give up or think of ending your life. Just come to Jesus with all your heart and He will give you rest. Finally, today’s Bible reading talks about the eternal rest that we have access to as sheep of the Great Shepherd. Nobody can enter Heaven except through Jesus Christ. If you are saved and you continue to follow Jesus Christ, obeying Him every step of the way, you will surely enter into His rest. Are you qualified to enter His rest?
Key Point: To enter into rest in any area of life, faith in Jesus Christ, the Giver of rest, is required.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer’s Ministries.
