It is God’s purpose that His people rest with Him. So, why don’t we?
Simply put: sin.
Sin separated us from God’s rest in the beginning (cf. Gen. 3:22-24). It was Israel’s recurring problem, too. Moses commanded, “The LORD your God is providing you a place of rest and will give you this land” (Josh. 1:13). Yet even as God overcame their enemies, provided for their needs, and specifically taught them how to rest with Him, they openly rebelled – ten different times (cf. Num. 14:22)! They made it all the way to the border of that place of rest …but wouldn’t go in, choosing slavery, death, and despising God over trust, obedience, and filling the earth with His glory (cf. Num. 14:1-4, 20-23). “They are a people who go astray in their heart, and they have not known My ways,” God observed, “Therefore I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest’” (Ps. 95:10-11).
So, Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. As Moses prepared the next generation to enter the land and experience God’s blessings, he also warned them that unfaithfulness would cause them to be scattered in the sinful world, where they would “find no respite, and there shall be no resting place for the sole of your foot, but the LORD will give you there a trembling heart and failing eyes and a languishing soul” (Deut. 28:65). Which is exactly what happened. First, God gave them “all the land” and “rest on every side just as He had sworn to their fathers” (cf. Josh. 21:43-44). Then “the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD,” bringing upon themselves “terrible distress” (cf. Jdgs. 2:11-15). This cycle of sin, distress, repentance, rescue, and rest was repeated throughout Israel’s history. When times of rest came, they never lasted. “‘There is no peace,’ says the LORD, ‘for the wicked’” (Isa. 48:22).
Now Jesus has come, freely offering us all true peace and rest even better than what Israel ever dreamt of (cf. Matt. 11:28-30, Heb. 4:8-11). Yet we must “take care” lest “an evil, unbelieving heart” causes us to similarly fall away (cf. Heb. 3:12). Even after all Israel saw and experienced, their unbelief kept them from entering God’s rest (cf. Heb. 3:15-19). The same can happen to us. If we aren’t encouraging and being encouraged by other Christians each day, we can be “hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (cf. Heb. 3:13). Failing to believe God’s promises and obey His commands can keep us from entering His rest, too. If we don’t want to fail to reach what God has promised to us, we must truly strive for it. We won’t be disappointed: it is God’s purpose that we rest with Him.
Are you tired? Learn from Jesus how to rest, and you will be restored. This is your invitation to find Rest and Restoration.