Yes, But…

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
Hebrews 3 (click the link)


KEY VERSE:
So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness…”

Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness? And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief. (Hebrews 3:7-8, 16-19, NIV)


THE GIST OF IT:
The writer of Hebrews is giving a very practical warning about the way our salvation works. Only those who are willing to be saved, may be saved. Furthermore, the degree to which we enter into the fullness of his kingdom, and the fullness of his rest, is directly proportional to the degree to which we surrender our doubts and ourselves in complete obedience and belief that the Lord is who he says he is.

The children of Israel were more than happy to be rescued out of Egypt. They said “yes!” to that, and followed Moses. This took some faith on their part, because there was a real risk that they would be pursued and slaughtered in the desert by Pharaoh and his mighty army. But they had been made desperate by the injustice, abuse, and slavery of 400 years.

Along the way God showed himself over and over again as a God who was for them, as a God who was mighty to save, as a God who provided everything they needed, from food to water to safe passage down the middle of a sea, to a big night light to calm their fears in that desert wilderness, to the law that was meant to give them life. His very presence traveled with them, so why didn’t they ever get to know his ways?

The Bible tells us these were stubborn people. It seems to me that they would have gotten it—how good God is—by all that he did to show that his heart was for them in the early days of their journey. That, knowing his goodness, they would humbly ask him for meat when they needed it, instead of whining and complaining and saying they would rather go back to slavery where at least there was brisket on the menu. Or that they would have been patient while waiting for Moses to bring the law of the Lord down from the mountain, having seen miracles up close; shouldn’t they also have been a little afraid, having witnessed the destruction of Pharaoh’s army?

But instead of waiting on the living God, they took matters into their own hands, creating a false god and worshiping in ways that had to be a foul stench in God’s nostrils. “Yes, but we want meat. Yes, but we want a sexier religion. Yes, but we are tired of waiting. Yes, but when are we getting to this new land again? You haven’t outlined the plan for us very well.”

What was their problem? This passage in Hebrews tells us: it was unbelief. They had seen God move and should have known him, but there was a disconnect somewhere between what they experienced and observed, and what found its way into their hearts.

Seeing is not always believing! They should have known and believed and trusted God to work out all the details, because he had proven himself to them over and over again.


REFLECTIONS:
Oh dear, is anyone besides me getting nervous here? I can’t help but see myself in these stubborn hearts. Today we have the benefit of the whole body of scripture, countless stories of the hand of God and who he is. In my own life, I have personally seen God raise someone from the dead, I have seen miraculous signs and wonders, have heard the voice of the Lord, and been delivered of many things that enslaved me, and I have had the Lord minister through me in real time to heal the broken-hearted, speaking as clearly as if he was here in the flesh again, healing people right in front of me.

I said “yes!” when I first understood that Jesus wanted to rescue me, and he has never let me down, not once. Along the way God has shown himself over and over again as a God who is for me, as a God who is mighty to save, as a God who provides everything I need. Unlike the children of Israel in the desert, I have the benefit of understanding God’s love because of this:  while I was still stupid in my sin, Christ died for me. His very presence abides in me, so why am I not getting to know him better?

Folks, can we check ourselves before we wreck ourselves?

There is some unbelief in the building!

If I truly believed he loves me like that, and truly believed he is so powerful like that, and truly believed he is for me like that, would I ever say “yes, but…” again? “Yes, but this is how you made me after all. Yes, but you haven’t given me all the details so I’m going to ignore what I know I heard you say because deep down I want to be in control of my own life because I don’t really trust you.” It’s time for the buts to leave the building.


PRAYER:
I repent of unbelief, and renounce it in Jesus’ name. (Shout this out loud as many times as it takes.) Unbelief will no longer rob me of what has been promised to me:  knowing Jesus in the fullest possible way. He is my rest. He is my promised land. No longer will unbelief keep me from entering into him. Help me to understand that when you ask me to do something, you are trying to show me another aspect of your personality. You are trying to show me who you really are, and if I obey, I will know you like that. Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. I believe. Today, when I hear his voice, I will not harden my heart like I have so many times before. Today, I will obey my King.


WHO AM I?
I am Suzanne Zucca, and I believe.