'Therefore, since the promise of entering His rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. For we also had had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith. Now we who have believed enter that rest just as God has said, 'So I declared on oath in my anger
'They shall never enter my rest.'
...There remains, then a Sabbath rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from His own work, just as God did from His. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.'
-Hebrews 4:1-3, 9-11
I'm viewing these next two weeks as an academic marathon of sorts in which Jesus is my oxygen and at the finish line of finals awaits the movie premiere of The Hobbit, an experience I've been anticipating for almost two years now. Anyway, as we all are preparing for finals and spending every waking moment studying, let us find balance in the chaos of school, not being stressed but instead having blessed assurance. We do not want to fall short of God's rest over the next few weeks. His rest is both present and future. Missing the Lord's future rest means missing out on eternal salvation, and if you haven't yet accepted Christ as your Savior because of what He's done for you, dying on the cross and rising again to offer eternal life to all, I encourage you to please, please ask someone about Him and fall deeply in love with what He's done. For those that have accepted Him, we are able to have present rest, which we also do not want to pass up. Missing God's present rest means living a frustrated life of anxiety and spiritual frenzy. Let us remember what we believe, that we have been saved through the grace of God alone, and because of that we have freedom and life. We have assured rest because of the promise of God. We can give up our own efforts at being perfect and rest in the provision Jesus brings. Does this mean we go on sinning or being careless? No! Our understanding of the gospel should spur us on to act in love. Let us embrace the rest and blessed assurance that Jesus is ours, but let us also be motivated to have every action reflect Him. As you study, be diligent for Him. As you learn, be amazed by all that He's created and allowed humanity to discover. While doing your schoolwork, be thankful that God has allowed you to have an education that you can use to help other people. When focusing on finals, don't forget what ultimately matters: having your focus dwell on faith in Christ's work. An understanding of the gospel brings us a mindset that is set in trust in the Lord and His faithfulness to bring rest, both present and eternal. Let us work and be productive but also understand that nothing we do can make us righteous or bring ultimate peace. That's only the doing of Jesus Christ.
PS
Here's a fun movie trailer to get you excited for the Hobbit movie in just two short weeks. Eek! :)
