July 4 (day-month date notation)
' Hebrews 4:7, NLT: So God set another time for entering his rest, and that time is today. God announced this through David much later in the words already quoted: 'Today when you hear his voice, don't harden your hearts. ' Hebrews 4:7, CSB: he again specifies a certain day--today.
God has chosen a particular time when people must trust him. The author of Hebrews refers to Psalm 95:7-8, which calls that time 'today'. We need to understand what those authors mean by 'today'. On that day, God insists that we must have the right attitudes towards him. And only if we do can we enter God's 'rest'.
'' Since God's rest on the seventh day of creation came only after His work was done, and Israel only suffered loss when they failed to complete their assigned work, Christians should strive to complete the work given them by God, in order to obtain the greater heavenly rewards.
It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Hebrews 4:12, CSB: For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
'' Since God's rest on the seventh day of creation came only after His work was done, and Israel only suffered loss when they failed to complete their assigned work, Christians should strive to complete the work given them by God, in order to obtain the greater heavenly rewards.
God created rest for our benefit, to restore us. We can experience true rest when we spend time in God's presence, praying or reflecting on His Word. As we take time from our busy schedule, we can be still, silent, present, and allow Him to work in us. In the book of Psalms, we discover what resting in God truly means.
By faith we can cast ourselves with all our burdens into God's arms, fully and completely, without reservation. We cast all fear, all doubts, all anxiety, and all cares on Him, because He cares for us. By doing this we enter into a blessed rest.
We learn that God's rest comes in two parts. First, we enter God's rest when we believe in Christ's finished work on the cross. “For we who have believed enter that rest …” Hebrews 4:3a. We enter God's rest when we believe and are saved, but the final consummation of God's rest comes with Christ's return.
God has called us and designed us to rest from physical labor. In the Old Testament we see God's own pattern of working and then resting: 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” (Genesis 2:7).
idiom. : to stop having kind or friendly feelings for someone or caring about something. She hardened her heart against him after their breakup.
God actually gives us a softened heart when we turn to him in search of healing from our hardened heart. Having a softened heart is like having a whole new heart that is more refreshed, more willing to love God and others, and more open to trusting Him.
God takes it very serious because especially now in our culture, it isn't natural for us. To rest means that we need to trust God will take care of things for us. We have to trust that if we take a day off, the world will not stop turning and everything will be ok. It takes faith.
How much of that time do you spend resting? Sabbath rest is a meaningful gift that God has given to each of us to help us govern our lives. The Bible says that God created everything in six days, and on the seventh day, He rested. Then He gave us rest.
You can find rest for your soul through prayers/communing with God, through faith in His word/promises and through total trust in His faithfulness/love.
Thank you for our home and a place to sleep and good food to eat. Help us rest well, give us peaceful dreams, and send your angels around our home to protect us throughout the night. Teach us to trust you and to love you more and more. You are good; you are great; and you are faithful, God.
God's rest is a state, or place, where God rules and manages his creation, free from the chaos and disorder brought about by sin and rebellion. All who will rest from their own work of bringing their own life under control can enter into God's rest. In Hebrews 4:1-11, the author of Hebrews discusses God's rest.
Jesus said if we are weary and overburdened, we should go to Him and He will give us rest, relaxation, and ease (see Matthew 11:28–29). Jesus wants to teach us the right way to live, which is different from the way most of the world lives.
God comforts us through the Bible and also through prayer. While he knows the words we will speak before we ever say them and he knows even our thoughts, he wants us to tell him what is on our mind and what we are worried about.
When we feel overwhelmed, God will wrap his arms around us and whisper in our ear, “I love you.” The hope comes in knowing that in Christ, God has claimed victory over our greatest enemy, death itself. The resurrection points toward that day when all in Christ shall be raised again to live forever with him in paradise.
Hebrews 4:11: “Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall through following the same example of disobedience.” In other words, Israel fell from the promised joy of God because of the disobedience of unbelief. And the same thing can happen to any professing Christian.
The purpose of the Sabbath is to give us a certain day of the week on which to direct our thoughts and actions toward God. It is not a day merely to rest from work. It is a sacred day to be spent in worship and reverence. As we rest from our usual daily activities, our minds are freed to ponder spiritual matters.
: to gain courage or confidence : to begin to feel better and more hopeful.