THE SABBATH AND HOPE    

MEDITATION

"I cannot wait to finally retire," my younger roommate would often say half jokingly, half seriously, even though he still had a few decades of work left before his wish could come true. "Long live retirement!" can sometimes define our attitude when we think of the rest that has been promised us when we gave our life to God, the Promised Land that awaits us after death. It can seem very far away when we think about life as a weary journey in the desert. 

However, the writer of the Letter to the Hebrews pushes us to enter His rest right now (Hebrews 4:11). There remains a rest for the people of God indeed (Hebrews 4:9), "that means that there is a spiritual rest to which God calls us" (Johannes Calvin). Therefore, there is something of the Sabbath rest that is already available to us as a preview of what will be the reality and will continue and increase tenfold in the promised eternity. 

In Hebrews 4 "rest" refers to a promised place in the future, a safe and glorious land for God’s people, as well as a present state that is connected with the rest God created after finishing His creation and the celebration of His work. It is both the Promised Land of milk and honey and the moment of joint exultations in the presence of God. One day we will reach the end of our journey, just like God’s people reached the Land of Canaan. Yet, from this day on and especially today, we are invited to have a taste of this rest and turn towards God to marvel at His glory, to be reminded of His work and to put our trust in Him. The latter is crucial because the writer of Hebrews warns the reader that just like the Israelites missed the opportunity to enter the Promised Land in Kadesh Barnea, we can miss our chance when we harden our hearts. By trusting God and choosing to do so day by day, the Sabbath rest will accompany us from this day on until it will enter into its true form in His eternal presence. 

Let us not be ignorant in our worship, but let us worship God in Spirit and in truth. Read the Bible and hear the voice of God. Read the Bible and see Jesus. Read the Bible and receive the Holy Spirit's power.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION  

• What does spiritual rest mean to me?   
• How do my Sabbath times nurture my hope?   
• Are there aspects in my life that have led me to harden my heart? 

PRAYER TOPICS  

• We pray that God may give us rest today.   
• We pray for forgiveness for the times we let our hearts be hardened and turned away from God.   
• We pray for forgiveness and for His promise to give us access to the Promised Land, a place of rest and the place where He will spend eternity with us.   
• We pray for help to encourage each other to be a good example of loyalty for the next generation. 

SUGGESTED PRAYER 

Father, I trust in You, even though I might be in the desert, because I know that You will lead me into Your rest, into Your safe and glorious presence. I want to live in Your presence to receive this hope and Sabbath rest every day. Amen.

Michael Mutzner, Permanent Representative at the UN in Geneva, World Evangelical Alliance, Switzerland.