Devotionals from my Bible app: Called to Contentment (Hebrews 4:10)

for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Hebrews 4:10, ESV

Note before sharing the devotional: I'm finding myself quite grateful for my Bible app, YouVersion, which God provided in my life as a tool to pray and read His Word daily. I've been feeling very exhausted spiritually for a long time, to where I've needed a different focus. I am still grateful for my church and for my pastor, but the messages that I'm hearing there have been ringing hollow for me. It's why I've not been sharing them of late on this blog. That said, I do want to be quick to clarify that I don't think the messages are bad. They're still preaching the pure Word of God and they are speaking faith. But I also know that we all have seasons. After all,

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; Ecclesiastes 3:1-2, ESV

Although I have continued to be very active in accomplishing tasks related to wedding prep, marriage prep, and moving prep, with tasks ranging from setting up accounts to pay rent, to customizing the bridal shower registry, to communicating with vendors ahead of the big day, I have been resting in other ways. Enduring certain conversations and relationships that have a track record of being toxic or leading to quarrelling, those days are over. Sometimes trying to hold out hope and faith that a certain person will listen, let alone change, wastes energy. And sometimes, even with sermons or challenging statements that a person makes, I have to close the door and declare that I'm not going to deal with that right now.

As an aside, I've not seen the movie "Inside Out 2" that has been playing in theaters the last few weeks, but I have been watching very short clips of it on YouTube. There's one mechanism in the movie that I really like, where the character Joy grabs a marble-shape representing a bad or uncomfortable memory, deploys a chute, opens it, inserts the bad memory, and pulls a trigger which flings the memory to a far-off place, boldly declaring: "we're not going to think about that right now!" 

That's where I'm at with certain messages, primarily one that goes along the lines of: What? You don't know how to do this by now? You've been an adult for how long? Well, you should've planned for it! Life's tough, suck it up, you've an adult for this long, and you should've known this by now! It's your own fault if you don't know how to do this by now! ... There are a few people currently in my life who have this kind of attitude (and are not shy about it), and within a couple of months I'm going to make sure they're out of my life. I forgive them, because although they think they know what they're doing, they don't:

And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. Luke 23:34, ESV

But for people who bring out the worst in me (i.e. cause me to sin), the Bible commands that I remove them:

If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. Matthew 5:29-30, ESV

To wrap up this preamble, today's devotional is about contentment, which I got off the rails about. Life is full of trials and tribulations. Life has ups and downs. What counts is what we do with them. And we are called to learn how to be content, no matter whether we are in the middle of a trial or not. A major part of that contentment is rest. How do we rest? We rest in part by prioritizing those who build us up, and cutting out those who tear us down. Who builds you up? For me, spending time with God has to be number one. He will never tear me down, at least not in the way that other people have. If He tears down, He will do so only to build up:

a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; Ecclesiastes 3:3, ESV

One of His promises during times of trial is that He will give us strength to endure. This, I believe, is the proper interpretation of the below verse:

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13, NKJV

...based on this context:

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him [Christ] who strengthens me. Philippians 4:11-13, ESV

Let's release our burdens, cares, and worries to the Lord and be content in Him. At the end of the day, He is still sovereign, and interestingly, that brings me comfort more than other things.

for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Hebrews 4:10, ESV

Called to Contentment

Observing Sabbath-rest allows us to step into the same rhythm God established in creating the world. Scripture tells us when God rested from His work, it was because His work was complete (Genesis 2:1). God took joy in His accomplishment.

In Hebrews 4:10, the writer draws a parallel between God's rest and ours: "for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his." We're invited to delight in His presence and share in God’s divine contentment.

This rest isn't about taking a break from good works. It’s about surrendering the need to control by trusting in the completeness of God’s work. Our "rest" releases us from the burden of proving ourselves good enough to earn His love and approval. These things have been secured through Jesus’ finished work on the cross. When we step into this rhythm of rest can we find contentment that spills over into every part of our lives.

Is God is calling you to stop trying to do everything on your own and instead find peace in Jesus’ finished work on the cross?

Lay down your burdens, not out of laziness, but surrender. Believe that the One who made the world also takes care of you.

https://bible.com/bible/59/heb.4.10.ESV

Prayer: God, my heart is heavy. I release my burdens to You. I lay them down and surrender them to You. Thank You for holding me in my weakness and weariness. Show me how to rest and refuel in Your presence. In Jesus' name, Amen.