Finding Rest from the Word of God
If you listened to the Word of the Lord and obey it you will find rest, for He is our God and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care. Today if you will hear His voice do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the desert where your fathers tested me, tried me, though they had seen what I did. For forty years I was angry with that generation, I said, they are a people whose heart goes astray and they have not known my ways, so I declared on oath in my anger, they shall never enter my rest (Heb ch3).
Paul’s letter to the Hebrews (3:13) “But encourage one another daily as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened to sin’s deceitfulness.” (Ps.119:52) “I remember your ancient laws, O Lord, and I find comfort in them”, and in John 14:15 it says, “If you
love me you will obey what I command.” Also in Psalms 81:8-10, “Hear, O my people and I will warn you if you would but listen to me, O Israel. You shall have no foreign god among you – you shall not bow down to an alien god. I am the Lord your God who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.” And in v13-14 “If my people would but listen to me, if Israel would follow my ways, how quickly would I subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes.” In v 16 “the Lord said to the Israelite but you would be fed with the finest of wheat, with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” In Isaiah 33:24, it says, “No one living in Zion will say I am ill and the sins of those who dwell there will be forgiven.” Ex. 15:26 “And said, if you listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians for I am the Lord, who heals you”.
If you and I have not listened to the word of the Lord our God, the consequence will be as follows: we shall not see the new Jerusalem, 1.Cor.10:6-11, “Now those things occurred, as examples to keep us from setting our heart on evil things as they did. Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written; The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry. We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did - and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. We should not test the Lord as some of them did - and were killed by the destroying angel. Those things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us on whom the fulfilment of the ages has come.” Brothers and Sisters let us listen to the voice of the Lord and obey it, then we shall see the rest. Our time is only once and never returns, so let us make the best of it while we have it. How to make the best of it? That is the question on which so many make shipwreck. I pray that the Lord will be with you all as we look forward to the coming Kingdom, God willing.
Bro. Harris Mulongesha (Ndola, Zambia)
