Daily Devotional
Word of the Day
Resting in Father's Love
Pastor Scott
Sunday, August 01, 2004
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"Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief."
(Hebrews 4:11)
The erring heart of unbelief says, "God brought us out here to kill us. It is a good land, but there are giants and walled cities; and we are as grasshoppers in their sight." Unbelief is to not know God's ways or heart. You can never come to rest until you understand that Father loves you and it is His good pleasure to give you the kingdom. He has not begun this work in you to let you die and fail. Faithful is He who has called you, the Scripture says, who will do it.
Where are we today in our personal walk? "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God... [be careful that you are not] hardened through the deceitfulness of [unbelief]" (Heb. 3:12, 13). Unbelief creates a hardening of the heart and a suspicion towards your Father, judging God unfair and that He is a respecter of persons. You may say, "Why are they blessed and they don't pray as much as I do?" Evil hearts of unbelief judge the love of Father. The immediate circumstances may not seem that great, but God's infinite wisdom orchestrates the very path that you are on to fulfill His eternal purposes for good in your life. You have to labor to enter into that rest. You cannot live in that peace if you're not studying, praying and daily pulling down the strongholds that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God. Are you working to discipline your mind? Are you studying? Are you laboring?
"For the word of God is quick, and powerful..." (Heb. 4:12). The Word of God is alive--not the leather, paper and ink, but the Spirit behind the written Word. When we read these words, faith feeds the life of God into our spirit man. We are impregnated with life and energy. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Rom. 10:17). When this Word comes into our hearts, we are energized to hope against hope, to see Him that is invisible, to call things that are not as though they were. We expect that God will confirm His Word with signs following.
Let us labor to enter into the rest, for the Word is alive, energized and sharper than a two-edged sword. It divides asunder between soul and spirit and is a discerner of the thoughts and the intentions of the heart. When we get before Father and allow this Word to infiltrate our being, our motives are judged and we realize what manner of man we truly are. Most of the time, it will tell us that we are too self-involved, selfish, lustful, envious, discontent. It shows us that we need to die more to ourselves and become more dependent upon His presence and promises. What are you doing with the promises of God today? He gave the children of Israel a promise: "I'm going to take you into a land that flows with milk and honey. You are going to drink from wells you didn't dig and live in houses that you didn't build."
"That sounds good, but now there's the opposition. We thought You were going to drive our enemy out before us while we lie in the hammock, rejoicing in the goodness of God."
It doesn't work that way. You signed up for a fight. There is an enemy going about seeking whom he may devour. What are you doing to prepare yourself for the opposition of the evil one in this hour that we are coming to? Most people tell us that we need to prepare ourselves in the natural by getting a better education, better networking, better investments and retirement plans. What do we need really? We need to learn to rest.