Tag Archives: 40 year journey

Today is the First Day of the Rest of Your Life

Hebrews 3:1-9

Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.  For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house.  For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.

 

Provocation coming from the word to provoke, when you annoy someone to death or make someone angry where they react verbally or physically attack you, in this instance the Children of Israel complained to God about food, water, even to the foot of Mount Sini. While Moses was going up to receive the Law of instruction as to how they should conduct themselves among a world of heathens, they were down partying, erecting a golden calf, worshiping; talking about their days when they were in Egypt. If you had it good, why were you complaining of all your years of bondange, beating, and wanting us to do this and that? They complained the whole time. Then when the Lord delivered them from bondage through His servants Moses and Aaron, they complained the whole way. Its just like people today, you can’t satisfy them, they complain and whine about the littlist of things. You can never satisfy them. If you’re in a restaurant, the hostes will seat you, the server will serve you, just what you wanted to eat, but all of a sudden you’ll complain, the food is too cold, salty, or hot. One of the craziest things people will say is “this doesn’t look like the picture.” Its the same way when you go to the department store looking for clothes, why don’t they have stuff in my size? We are the most whining and complainng creatures on the face of this earth. But one thing that all of us have in common, we have no problem when it comes to sining, and doing things that are wrong. The children of Israel at the foot of the mountain, all became one, their one vision was to worship the gods of Egypt once more, wishing they were back in Egypt. Even the wild creatures in the forest, if you capture them in a trap, once they are freed from the trap, you don’t ever see them go back to the trap. Once they’re free, they’re free. Its a pity that human being don’t have that understandning. Whom the Lord sets free, they are free indeed. When our hearts and minds are opened up to that concept and understanding, then all of the trivial things in life don’t really mean anything. The biggest thing we need to be set free from is ourselves. Sometiems we get out of control in our minds concerning things, that is why there is so much road rage over the highway. People are so quick to get angry at somebody because they cut them off, or they’re not driving fast enough. Even in stores and restaurants when you have to wait in line, the impatience of having to wait in line becomes unbearable for some, and they begin to murmur and complain.

 

Hebrews 3:10-11

Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)

 

Have you worried God? Have you been complaining too much lately? Sometimes we need to just forget about ourselves, what’s pleasing to us, and be more concerned with doing God’s will and brining Him less complaints and become more understanding of what’s going on around us. Most of our problems stem from our selfish nature. If we can’t get things the way we want, we complain. We are our own worst enemy. We need to be delivered from us. As in the case of the Children of Israel, they whined and complained so much that the Lord allowed that generation that sinned and worried Him to death in the wilderness, to suffer a 40 year journey in the wilderness to suffer and die. They never made it to the promised land. The Word of God said that weeks journey took 40 years for them not to make it. Have we cut off our blessing from God because we complain and whine so much? Have we cut off our destination with our relationship with God because we complain so much? Sometimes we need to close our mouths and let our ears hear what the Word of God is saying, so that we will have life and that more abundantly. Because like Paul said, to live is for Christ, and to die is to gain. So let us lay aside all of these weights, all of these complaints, all of these problems, in our lives and let the Holy Ghost lead and guide us to all truth. Sometimes, the truth that we wound up seeing about ourselves is not very pretty, but is what we need to correct the things in our lives. We need to know, so that we can grow.

 

Hebrews 3:12-19

Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

 

Your complaining and whining lets God know that you don’t believe He can do what He said He could do. So stop whining and complaining and just do what is set before you to do in the House of God, or whatever His will is for you.