SPIRITUAL
DIARY FOR 01-29-03
My
Worship Time Focus: Don’t harden your hearts against Him
Bible
Reading & Meditation Reference: Hebrews 4:6-7
1. Message of the verse: “Since therefore it remains that some must
enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of
disobedience, again He designates a certain day, saying in David, ‘Today,’
after such a long time, as it has been said: ‘Today, if you will hear His
voice, Do not harden your hearts.’”
(NKJV) “So God’s rest is there
for people to enter. But those who
formerly heard the Good News failed to enter because they disobeyed God. So God set another time for entering his
place of rest and that time is today.
God announced this through David a long time later in the words already
quoted: ‘Today you must listen to His
voice. Don’t harden your hearts against
Him.’” (NLT)
I would
like to quote a paragraph from Dr. Wiersbe’s book on Hebrews; “Be Confident”
that has much to say about this rest or rests that people can enter into. “The Canaan rest for Israel is a picture of
spiritual rest we find in Christ when we surrender to Him. When we come to Christ by faith, we find salvation rest (Matt.11: 28) ‘Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy
laden, and I will give you rest.’ When
we yield and learn of Him and obey Him by faith, we enjoy submission rest (11:29-30) ‘By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by
dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after
they were encircled for seven days.’ The
first is ‘peace with God’ (Rom 5:1) ‘Therefore, having been justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ The second is ‘peace of God’ (Phil. 4:6-8)
‘Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with
thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God,
which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through
Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren,
whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just,
whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of
good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything
praiseworthy----meditate on these things.’
It is by believing that we enter into rest (Heb. 4:3); ‘For we who have
believed do enter that rest, as He has said: "So I swore in My wrath,
`They shall not enter My rest,'" although the works were finished from the
foundation of the world.’ It is by
obeying God by faith, and surrendering to His will that the rest enters into
us.
I think
that is of the utmost importance that I learn what this writer of Hebrews is
saying about this rest of rests that I either have or need to enter into, and I
believe that I finally understand what these rests of God are about.
2. Spiritual meaning
for my life today: Whenever I learn
something from the Word of God then I need to put it into practice and this is
the most difficult part of becoming like Christ. Jesus Christ lived on earth in a way where He
always did everything according to the Word of God for He is the living
Word. It was His nature to live this
way, and by God’s wonderful grace I too can live this way as He conforms me to the
image of His Son.
The Word of God was convicting, refreshing, and a challenge
to me as I read it today.
My Steps
of Faith Today: To live my
life in control of the Spirit of the living God.
Memory verse for the week:
Philippians 2:5
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.
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