Daily Scripture Guide Day 31

December: Hebrews 4:11-13 | Tabitha Bigbee

Hebrews 4:11-13

“Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

• Don’t resting and striving negate each other?

• How can we simultaneously rest and seek the kingdom?

• What does it mean to rest but also do all the things I’m called to do?

• Is God just being confusing and contradictory?

Let’s let’s define rest using the Bible. Because if we see a contradiction the problem is our understand of what’s being said, not God’s Word.

Genesis 2:1

“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.”

God rested because it was finished. There was nothing more to create. The work was done. God wasn’t exhausted. He wasn’t worn out from all that speaking things into being. No. He stopped because it was finished.

Jesus sits at the right hand of God because he finished the work of the law. It’s all done. He’s sitting, ruling. No more doing. Since we are now IN HIM we ALSO are in the rest of completion, not resting from exhaustion.

Our rest is about choice, belief, and peace. The choice to believe that Jesus has brought us perfect peace. Meaning that we decide to set our minds on the Truth of our unity with God through Jesus.

If you see yourself as in Jesus, then you see yourself in perfect unity with the source of all provision, protection, authority, and well-being. If you see yourself as in Jesus, then you see yourself in the Kingdom and God and no longer subject to this world’s decay, lack, and disease.

If that is how you see yourself then you are focused on your fellowship, or your shared reality in common with Jesus. This means you will think, speak, act, and choose in ways that reflect your identity and position.

So what is striving? It’s translated from a word that is defined thus:

“to use speed, to make effort to be prompt, be diligent, endeavor, labor, study.”

That’s not how we think of the word strive at all. That definition sounds a lot more like the definition of TRAIN.

Let’s rewrite this verse with these new definitions.

Hebrews 4:11-13

“Let us therefore train to enter what is already finished, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

What’s awesome is that we’re given the HOW in verse 12. What’s wild is that almost no one recognizes this verse as an instruction, but it comes directly after verse 11 and starts with “For,” which means it’s the HOW.

THE WORD OF GOD.

The Word of God is how we train ourselves to be part of the completed works of God and Jesus. Plant it in your heart. Conceive it. Give “birth” to it.

So next time you don’t feel peaceful, ask yourself why? What do I think I lack that God didn’t create and that Jesus doesn’t give me access to? And if I am lacking, then it means I have not planted His Words in my heart to birth from my heart the results of His promises. And if that’s the case, GOOD NEWS, start now. It’s never too late for God’s promises to do the work he created them to do for you.

Starting today will put you ahead of the curve. When the next challenge comes up in your life, you will be at least one step ahead because of the Word you’ve planted, which has resulted in rest.

You know who HASN’T finished their work yet? The Holy Spirit. Because He is still working through us! He is connecting us to the Father! He’s still mid-job! He’s not tired, but He’s certainly not done. Your job is not to do. Your job is to rest in the completed work of Jesus and allow the Holy Spirit to work through you.

This will take training your thoughts to sit on God’s Truth and not on what your brain decides to think at that moment. “But that’s hard!” Yeah. It is. Until you get over the hump and your brain is more than 50% trained to think that way. Then it’s just normal. Then you start finding all the little ways you still want to think and believe your faith rest. But you’ll never get over the hump if you don’t keep starting.

This year, may your ONLY goal be to set your mind on the reality of your unity with Jesus The Anointed One for a few more moments tomorrow than you did today.

Happily, Tabitha