Hebrews 4 opens with a powerful truth:
Hebrews 4:1–3 (NLT)
God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it. For this good news that God has prepared this rest has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn’t share the faith of those who listened to God. For only we who believe can enter his rest.
This rest isn’t about checking out from life. It’s a posture of faith, a place where you trust God’s promises and stop striving in your own strength.
Hebrews goes on to say:
Hebrews 4:7 (NLT)
So God set another time for entering his rest, and that time is today. God announced this through David much later in the words already quoted: “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts.”
That tells me hardening our hearts is a very real temptation. God speaks through His Word, through prophecy, through dreams, visions, and the still small voice. But if we despise it, dismiss it, or doubt it, we’ve hardened our hearts.
Ezekiel gives us hope:
Ezekiel 36:26 (NLT)
And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.
Ask Him to soften your heart so when He speaks, you can receive it.
Israel missed God’s rest because of disobedience. It’s the same for us today; obedience to God’s voice leads us into His rest. And here’s the key:
Hebrews 4:12–13 (NLT)
For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.
The Word divides between soul and spirit. It exposes what’s from God and what’s just our own emotions. That’s why Scripture is vital, it keeps us soft and responsive to His leading.
Here’s the good news:
Hebrews 4:14–16 (NLT)
So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
You don’t have to have it all together before you come. It’s when you’re most desperate that you should run to Him. Think of SOS not just as a cry for help, but as calling out to your Friend. And when you do, He rushes in with mercy and grace.
In John 6, the people asked Jesus what God required of them.
John 6:29 (NLT)
Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”
That’s it: believe. But believing can feel like work. Doubts come knocking, circumstances try to shake us, and the enemy whispers lies. The real work of believing is resisting doubt.
I’ve been seeking God for healing in every part of my life for several years now. And little by little, He’s done it—one thing at a time.
The first was a root canal that went wrong. The infection had eaten into the bone of my jaw, and it stayed tender all the time. I went to see a specialist, and he told me he’d have to drill into the side of my jaw to fix it. Then he said, “But since you’re still able to eat, we can wait if you’d like.” I chose to wait, and I’m so glad I did.
One day I was sitting outside, and the Lord said, “Did you notice?” I said, “Notice what?” He told me, “Touch your jaw.” When I did, I realized it was healed. No pain, no tenderness. The Lord had healed it without me even realizing it.
Another time, I had a nasal polyp in my right nostril for three years. It was about the size of a green olive, completely blocking airflow on that side. You could even see it in photos; my nose looked bigger on that side. For years, I kept asking God to heal me. I pictured a dramatic miracle at a revival service, where the polyp would just fall out. But it never happened like that.
Finally, I just entered into the rest of faith, trusting Him. That’s when I heard the Lord say, “Stop using your hair gel.” I didn’t even connect it at first, but I obeyed. Within two weeks of stopping a hair gel I had been using daily for ten years, the polyp completely disappeared. Only God could have known that was the cause.
Before that, I was also delivered from a spirit of infirmity that had me throwing up all the time. From the day I was set free, I haven’t thrown up once—and that’s been over three years. That’s the power of God.
And here’s the funny one: I had warts on my thumb and between two fingers. I cursed them, commanded them to leave, but they hung around. Finally, I entered the rest of faith. I stopped striving and just left it in God’s hands. Months went by, and one day I noticed my thumb was completely smooth. Not even a scar remained. I checked between my fingers, and the wart there was gone too. Healed. Even of warts.
That might seem small, but it’s such a testimony to God’s goodness. From root canals to polyps to warts, He’s shown me again and again: when I stop striving and enter His rest, He is faithful to heal.
Faith is not striving. Faith is not stressing. Faith is not hustling. Faith is rest.
Romans 4 gives us Abraham’s example:
Romans 4:16–22 (NLT)
So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham’s. For Abraham is the father of all who believe. That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, “I have made you the father of many nations.” This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing.
Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping, believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!” And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead and so was Sarah’s womb.
Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this, he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises.
Abraham had no natural reason to hope, yet he kept hoping because God had spoken. Even when mistakes were made, God’s promise was still fulfilled. That’s mercy.
Jesus said faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains. The beauty of the mustard seed is that once planted, it spreads and overtakes everything around it. Faith works the same way—if you let it, it will invade every part of your life until everything about you is marked by belief in God’s promises.
So let me ask you: are you resting? Because if you’re frustrated, worried, or striving, you’re not in faith. True faith always brings you into God’s rest.
When doubt comes, resist it. When God speaks, don’t harden your heart. And when you need help, run boldly into His throne room to receive mercy and grace.
Only believe.
