God’s promised rest

Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. Hebrews 4:1

Daniel J. Habben 

Ah, summer. School is out. Holidays are in—that is, after we get through our vacation to-do list: Shop. Pack. Clean. Empty fridge. Service car. Cancel mail delivery. Find pet-sitter. Sometimes there is so much stress before a vacation that we’re tempted to cancel our travel plans altogether and do a staycation instead! All the pre-trip hassle can’t really be worth that seven-day trip to Disney, can it?

Our journey on earth

Maybe we sometimes view our journey to heaven in the same way. Striving to live as a Christian in a sin-filled world is stressful and demanding. Heaven can’t possibly be worth the hassle, can it?

The writer to the Hebrews encourages us not to slack on our heavenly travel plans. Unlike any earthly vacation spot, heaven is a place of true and lasting rest. Heaven is not only worth the troubles we experience on earth, but its glories so far surpass those troubles that we one day will consider them “light and momentary” (2 Corinthians 4:17)!

Of course, one reason we may feel exhausted living a Christian life is because we haven’t truly grasped the essence of Christianity. In a recent Bible class, a woman said, “I thought Christianity was like every other religion—just do your best to behave and God will give you heaven.” Being a Christian, however, is not so much a matter of behaving but believing—believing in what Jesus has done for us.

But behavior does follow belief. Because I believe that Jesus gave his life to rescue me from sin, I want to treat my spouse with respect. I want to be patient with my children. I want to give my boss my best and not eat up company time checking Facebook. I want to do all this because I’m filled and fueled by gratitude for all that God has done for me through Jesus.

Our journey to heaven

Christians have God’s standing promise that we will enter heavenly rest. But, amazing grace, that rest already starts here on earth! Jesus has relieved us of our burden

of sin the way a luggage porter relieves a weary traveler of heavy luggage. The porter doesn’t ask the traveler to help him carry the load. He simply takes it. Of course, the porter will expect payment in return for his services, but Jesus shouldered our sins at no cost to us. And where is our heavenly porter leading us? To heaven, on a one-way ticket. We will never have to return to a life of broken relationships, loneliness, disappointment, or disease. Our rest will never end because sin will not intrude again.

Let’s not allow that promised rest to slip from our hands. Heed the warning of the writer to the Hebrews: Be careful! Don’t get so caught up in the concerns of this world that you relegate Jesus and his Word to the bottom of your to-do list. It’s a warning we especially need to hear as summer begins.

As we anticipate a break from routine, let’s not take a break from our worship and devotional life. So go ahead. Buy that vacation ticket; empty your fridge; lock your door. But bring Jesus and his Word along. Visit WELS congregations near your vacation destination. Download sermons and devotions to listen to as you barrel down the highway. Keep feeding your faith so you won’t fall short of God’s promised rest.

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Contributing editor Daniel Habben is pastor at St. John, Saint John, Antigua.  

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Author: Daniel J. Habben 
Volume 106, Number 6
Issue: June 2019

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