Day 24

“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness.” - HEBREWS 3:7-8

Sometimes an impression is given that the gospel is primarily about God forgiving us so we will be acceptable in heaven someday. In the meantime, since we don’t know when we’ll die or when Christ is coming back, we are to keep ourselves out of mischief and on the right side of God. Metaphorically, we spiritually wash our face, comb our hair, brush our teeth and clean our shoes just in case Christ returns or we die. We want to be ready!

We can completely miss the understanding that Christ brought us out of our old life in order to bring us into a whole new relationship with God. This relationship is not in the future but the present. Coming to the Father is now, in this life, to enjoy rich fellowship with Him on the way to heaven. Heaven is about geography! It is a place to which we will go, but the Christian life is about fellowship – it is about a person. “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3).

When God brought Israel out of Egypt, His purpose was to bring the people to Himself. ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself ” (Exodus 19:4-5). There was a place where they would enjoy His presence, sufficiency and protection, but the essence of the journey was to find God Himself. Hebrews 4:11 says, “Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter into that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.” The Israelites failed to enter into that position of rest in the sufficiency of God, and the writer to Hebrews warns that so can we!

Have you come out of your sin through the shed blood of Christ which alone atones for sin? Confess to Him your sin and thank Him for His death and shed blood. That is the gateway to fellowship with Him in an ongoing ever deepening relationship that is life changing! We come out of our sin, to come into fellowship with Christ, Himself. But it is possible to become stuck in a wilderness and fail to enter the position of rest in His sufficiency and strength.

PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for not only giving me a way to be reconciled to You, but for not having to wait till I get to heaven to experience You. Thank You for Jesus who makes that possible, who fills my life and is my life!

TO REFLECT UPON: Have I entered that life of rest and sufficiency in Christ, or am I stuck in a wilderness, relying on myself?