Dont Struggle
Posted by Jeffrey Smith March 29th, 2016 - 1,918 views
Hebrews 4:1-10- Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed. Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said, “So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’ And yet his works have been finished since the creation of the world. For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: “On the seventh day God rested from all his works.” And again in the passage above he says, “They shall never enter my rest.” Therefore since it still remains for some to enter that rest, and since those who formerly had the good news proclaimed to them did not go in because of their disobedience, God again set a certain day, calling it “Today.” This he did when a long time later he spoke through David, as in the passage already quoted: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his.
It is said that if you find yourself in quicksand, the worst thing you can do is struggle to get yourself free. The more you struggle, the deeper you get until it overtakes you above your head. The key it is said, is to actually lean into it chest down and you will float above it, and as if swimming you go to the shore. This is adverse to what we have been taught. We have all been taught to work our way through things that are tough. We put our heads down and plow through. We work, work, work. The truth is that all of us have tried that, and most survive that, but we all have the battle scars from those experiences.
With Jesus, we rest in His finished work, and instead of fighting situations, we float above them through Him. We must rest from what the world sees as right, and into agreement with what Jesus says is right. What is the truth is that through His work at the cross we are all set free from the bondage of ourselves, and the constant striving to see ourselves through tough situations. It is not our ability that will overcome cancer, or divorce. It is not our ability to create wealth, or to have complete peace. It can only come through Him, and when we allow Him to take over a situation we are resting from our own ability. I am not saying go out and quit your job. I am saying that when we rest in Jesus, our job will not overtake us, our relationships will not pull us under, our own work will not destroy us. It is His work that allows us to float, and rise above anything this world can throw at us. Stop struggling, and press into Jesus in all things, be overtaken by Jesus and not struggles. Rest in Him, and you will never have to struggle again.
Father, help us today to rest in Jesus so we can stop striving and struggling in this life. Help us to press into Jesus in all things today. Thank You that You planned this all along through Your son and His sacrifice so that we can just rest in His finished work. Thank You that You love us so much to design it this way so we can rest and watch You and Your glory show up in every part of our lives today. In Jesus name, amen.