A nearby seafood restaurant called Joe’s Crab Shack boldly proclaims in large letters on their building “Free Crab Tomorrow.” The sign is designed as an eye-catcher and a declaration of the importance of today. If you aren’t getting it, it is never tomorrow, only today – the free crab never happens. The Bible also contains several declarations about the importance of today.
In chapters three and four of Hebrews. The author leans heavily on “Today.” For example, “But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” (Hebrews 3:13, NASB95) The author builds an argument with insights from Exodus 17:1-7 and Psalm 95.
The underlying story is of the recently freed Hebrew nation, Moses, thirst, and a rock. God had led the Israelites to a dry desert location, and they were thirsty. Even though they had observed God’s protection through the ten plagues, walked through the Red Sea, and been miraculously delivered from slavery, they grumbled and complained about many things. This time, it was the lack of water.
The writer of Hebrews quotes Psalm 95, which summarizes the Exodus incident. “Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, “Today if you hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as when they provoked Me, As in the day of trial in the wilderness, Where your fathers tried Me by testing Me, And saw My works for forty years. “Therefore I was angry with this generation, And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart, And they did not know My ways’; As I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’ ”” (Hebrews 3:7–11, NASB95)
We may all have differing views on what this rest is. Some may see it as the rest we enter at the end of our days. Others will see rest in observing a day of rest. But the writer of Hebrews sees something more. “For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience.” (Hebrews 4:10–11, NASB95)
That rest is a deep and abiding trust in God. The writer of Hebrews continues by pointing out the effectiveness of God’s word in dividing and discerning our thoughts and intentions with a reminder that God sees all. God knows our hearts; are we calm on the outside but grumbling on the inside? He knows if we have rested our souls in Him. We can’t fake it.
Where do we find rest? The author of Hebrews provides the answer. “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:15–16, NASB95)
Today, don’t be like the Hebrew children grumbling against God. Today, enter into God’s rest by trusting Him and drawing near to the throne of grace to find help in times of need. This kind of rest doesn’t mean the end of labor but a deep trust that God knows what we need before we even ask. God’s got this.
So often, our peace depends on our perception of God’s answer. Many things create turmoil in our souls. We plot, worry, stress over, and perhaps even grumble about our problems or the uncertainty of our future. God knows them and invites us to tell Him about them. But what happens when our prayerful expectations are not met? That is the wilderness test the Israelites faced. They grumbled and blamed God instead of trusting Him to provide at the right time and in the right way. They failed the test and did not enter into rest.
God will take care of tomorrow if we rest and trust Him today.
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