The trip, according to our GPS, should have taken approximately five hours, six at the most. This was an exciting time, traveling across our beautiful state to spend the holidays with our children and precious grandchildren. The turnpike travel was moving at a normal pace, and we were making great progress, until we were set to pass through the scenic Laurel Highlands. What had been a light snow quickly became a blinding snowstorm, with the snow descending faster than the snowplows could handle, creating an icy, treacherous mess. The remainder of the stress-filled, nail-biting, slip-sliding trip would find us crawling along at 35 mph; what was a 5-hour trip had morphed into a 9-hour nightmare.
Somewhere along the way from the Prison Land of Egypt to the Promised Land of Canaan, something went terribly awry. The distance to be covered would be approximately 300 miles, to be accomplished by foot. At a modest 5 miles per day, the trip could be completed in 2 months, yet that trip turned into a nearly 40-year ordeal, and for those adults over 20 years of age who emigrated from Egypt, the trip would consume their lives. Even accounting for occasions when God’s children were encamped and not traveling, 40 years to accomplish the trip is way beyond the pale. The delay was not caused by meteorology, geography, or topography, but by a spiritual crisis of faith. This trip planned by God was spiritual at its core, a test to see whether God’s people could trust Yahweh to supply their needs, fight their battles, and direct their path.
After months of complaining, murmuring, and doubting, Israel would arrive at the threshold of the Promised Land and suffer a spiritual meltdown, refusing to trust God and to claim their land with boldness. Instead they cried out, “Let us make a captain, and return to Egypt,” let’s reverse course, this trusting God thing isn’t working out for us. The Israelites would soon realize the consequences of their willful disobedience and never step into the land of their dreams.
The writer of Hebrews warns us against an “evil heart of unbelief,” exhorts us to “Harden not (our) hearts,” and encourages us to enter “into his rest.” His rest, that’s our destination, rest in His finished work, not a cessation of activity, but harmonious involvement in His will for our lives. To enter God’s rest is to enter His best. We have a long journey ahead of us, may we always walk by faith and not by sight, trusting our gracious God to lead the way.
Hebrews 4:10, 11 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
Lord, I want Your best for my life, so help me to rest in Your will for me, Your path, Your best.