Part 2: that I may know God’s resting place.

As I shared in the first part of this series, concern over the presidential election led to God’s instruction for me to be still and know God. Be still, cease striving, let go and let God be God. I know He is the one who lifts up one and brings down another for His purposes.

Though many feel the election is being stolen, scripture assures us that no one can thwart God’s purpose. He is on His throne and He has not surrendered that authority to another. I know and believe this true. So, though I grieve the direction this election appears to be going as I write this post, I do not have to let grief rob my rest and destroy peace in me. Nor must I surrender faith in God to fulfill His purpose, giving self over to fear of things I see.

We ended Part 1 with a verse from the New Testament book of Hebrews: “For we who have believed enter that rest…” (chapter 4:3). “Rest” in the Hebrews passages we will look at today means “a putting to rest, causing to cease”. Those who succeed in entering God’s rest through believing trust in Him find the power in Him that puts them in the place of being rested, ceasing the peace disturbing thoughts and emotional upheaval of doubt and fear. That said, let’s look at this author’s warning to the Hebrews, and through them, to us.

“And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His REST, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.” – Hebrews 3:18-19 NASB

Hebrews 3:18-19 warns that unbelief leads to disobedience that blocks our ability to enter God’s rest. In God’s instruction for me to “Be Still”, I immediately recognized that as a call to think on the things I believe true of God. Doing so was my act of obedience spurred by all I believe true of God in these days. God was faithful to respond to my obedience in taking every thought captive by putting me in the place of rest, ceasing the peace disturbing thoughts and emotional upheaval of doubt and fear within me. Whatever comes of this election, I can trust God’s purpose and plan, and I can know that He will be with me as we walk through life together in whatever life brings in the days to come.

“Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. … For we who have believed enter that rest…. FOR THE ONE WHO HAS ENTERED HIS REST HAS HIMSELF ALSO RESTED FROM HIS WORKS, AS GOD DID FROM HIS. …” ‭‭- Hebrews‬ ‭4:1, 3, 5, 10-11‬ ‭NASB‬‬ (More on this in Part 3).

Obedience spurred by faith causes us to enter God’s rest, where He takes over by putting our fears to rest, causing them to cease, thus making our work of faith easier.