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The New Testament book of Hebrews offers a powerful lesson about surrendering to God. It tells the story of the forty years of wilderness wandering of the children of Israel, as told in the writings of Moses, Israel’s deliverer.
Take a look at how the Hebrews author wrote it.
“Christ as Son is in charge of the house.
That’s why the Holy Spirit says, Today, please listen;
don’t turn a deaf ear as in “the bitter uprising,” that time of wilderness testing!”
Hebrews 3:6-8 The Message
“Even though they watched me at work for forty years, your ancestors refused to let me do it my way; over and over they tried my patience.
And I was provoked, oh, so provoked! I said, “They’ll never keep their minds on God; they refuse to walk down my road.”
Exasperated, I vowed, “They’ll never get where they’re going, never be able to sit down and rest.”
So watch your step, friends. Make sure there’s no evil unbelief lying around that will trip you up and throw you off course, diverting you from the living God.”
Hebrews 3:9-12 The Message
We serve the living God, who is interested in our well-being, so he desires us to rest. He desires that we surrender to him to be completely taken care of (by him).
When this passage of scripture speaks about “no evil unbelief lying around,” it is a serious warning about a very real danger, and an indicator of the cause of the bitter uprising.
Unbelief is surrounded by doubt, fear, hurt, disappointments, and many other hurts that have festered into nasty, painful sores. The slightest touch causes a negative reaction.
Examine your heart and identify any areas like this. It is paramount that you recognize them and ask for help resolving them.
To leave them as they are could cost you your life.
Solomon asks an interesting (rhetorical) question in the Old Testament book of Proverbs.
“People ruin their lives by their own stupidity, so why does God always get blamed?”
Proverbs 19:3 The Message
I recently saw a program where one of the main characters (who was living a wild, carefree life) was facing certain death. She looked at the sky and asked, “Is this how you take care of me? Her question was meant to blame God for her demise, even though it was of her (or the writers’) doing.
The point is that instead of shaking an angry fist at God, extend an open hand, crying out for help. Find support in your Christ-followers’ community.
Another (King) Solomon proverb says,
“Dear friend, if you’ve gone into hock with your neighbor or locked yourself into a deal with a stranger,
If you’ve impulsively promised the shirt off your back and now find yourself shivering out in the cold,
Friend, don’t waste a minute, get yourself out of that mess. You’re in that man’s clutches! Go, put on a long face; act desperate.
Don’t procrastinate – there’s no time to lose.”
Proverbs 6:1-4 The Message
In other words, if doubt, fear, hurt, and disappointments have you in their grip, act desperate, get out of that mess.
The Hebrews writer brings up another important lesson about surrendering.
And who was God provoked with for forty years? Wasn’t it those who turned a deaf ear and ended up corpses in the wilderness?
And when he swore they’d never get where they were going, wasn’t he talking to the ones who turned a deaf ear?
They never got there because they never listened, never believed.
Hebrews 3:17-19 The Message
Turning a deaf ear, never listening, or believing will never be good for you.
We live in a fallen world surrounded by people determined to take advantage of you. At the core of their focus is the devil’s desire to discredit God in the eyes of humanity.
As a Christ-follower, your eyes have been opened to see this, but anger, disappointment, and hurt can blind your eyes and deafen your ears, which makes you a target for your adversary.
In the New Testament, Jesus calls for all of humanity.
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest.
Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.
Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Matthew 11:28-30 The Message
Although this passage is important to the Christ-follower for many reasons, I want to focus on two of them.
Jesus echoes the cry of God’s heart in the Exodus account of the bitter uprising, which means God’s cry was not an isolated event, but meant for a select group of people. It is for all of humanity, past, present, and future.
Just as Adam and Eve’s sin impacted all of humanity, God’s word and his promises are there for us as well.
There is hope in this (which is the second area of focus). No matter who you are or what you have done (real or perceived), these words of Jesus echo the cry of the Father, Come, and you will find rest.
Rest is defined as relaxing (into something). It carries the connotation of supporting you (like a hammock).
In the Biblical sense, God wants to support you, but first, you must relax, or lean into him (like relaxing in a hammock).
This passage of scripture implies that spending time with Jesus (hanging out) is like sliding into the hammock for a relaxing rest.
Think about it. It isn’t stressful, tense, or awkward. It is like two friends spending time together, laughing and enjoying each other’s company.
Think of it this way. You are not surrendering to an enemy, but to a friend.
The call of the Spirit is going out across the land for light bearers and (wisdom-speaking) truth givers to bring the words of life to a lost and dying world—one person at a time.
The journey is exciting and scary, and I am thankful for everyone who is willing to accompany me on it.
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