SCRIPTURE
Heb 2:17-18 (Living) And it was necessary for Jesus to be like us, his brothers, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God, a Priest who would be both merciful to us and faithful to God in dealing with the sins of the people. 18 For since he himself has now been through suffering and temptation, he knows what it is like when we suffer and are tempted, and he is wonderfully able to help us.
Heb 4:3 (Living) For only we who believe God can enter into his place of rest. He has said, "I have sworn in my anger that those who don't believe me will never get in," even though he has been ready and waiting for them since the world began.
Heb 4:14-16 (Living) But Jesus the Son of God is our great High Priest who has gone to heaven itself to help us; therefore let us never stop trusting him. 15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses since he had the same temptations we do, though he never once gave way to them and sinned. 16 So let us come boldly to the very throne of God and stay there to receive his mercy and to find grace to help us in our times of need.
Heb 5:7-9 (Living) Yet while Christ was here on earth he pleaded with God, praying with tears and agony of soul to the only one who would save him from premature death. And God heard his prayers because of his strong desire to obey God at all times. 8 And even though Jesus was God's Son, he had to learn from experience what it was like to obey when obeying meant suffering. 9 It was after he had proved himself perfect in this experience that Jesus became the Giver of eternal salvation to all those who obey him.
OBSERVATION
We have all seen a lot of suffering in this world; I have seen my wife with her struggles, suffering physically everyday with ailments that no doctor has been able to relieve. I hear about the intense suffering of patients battling with their fight against cancer. I have seen despair crushing down on helpless people, I have seen pictures of torture victims in other countries. We have all seen people on television that suffer from hunger and famine.
God’s son came to earth he saw a world full of hurting people, he saw the persecution, he saw the sick the hungry, and he saw the despair of hopelessness (Compassion of Jesus- Matthew 9:36, 14:14, 15:32, 20:34).
Jesus experienced temptation, he was pushed by Satan to give in to human weakness, he was hungry, and he was dealing with Satan’s tricks. He cried out loud when he saw the “lost sheep” everywhere. In agony he told his disciples in the garden "My soul is crushed with horror and sadness to the point of death.” He prayed to God in the garden to save him from the cruel death on the cross (Hebrews 5:7) and from the cross he cried out with a broken heart, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46)
We have a compassionate Savior that is fully aware of our pain because Christ shared in our humanity, the temptations and the suffering that he went through enables him to sympathize with us and help us.
As simplistic as it sounds, yet difficult to do we have to trust in Jesus, we must “come boldly to the very throne of God and stay there to receive his mercy and to find grace to help us in our times of need”. It sounds simple in theory but in the midst of the battles we have to remember to stay before the throne, the throne where we will receive mercy and grace (4:16).
We all seek to find rest hopefully we do better than God’s people that were moving to the Promised Land. They labored in the desert because of their unbelief. They labored in the Promised Land and never took control of it because they didn’t have faith that they would win the battles (3:18, 19).
Some times God brings us through some desert land and we have to remember to keep the faith. If you are weary of the suffering that you are going through please keep the faith. Take comfort in the promise that God’s rest is still available today (4:1) he invites us to:
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Matt 11:28-30 (NIV)
APPLICATION
Therefore we should:
Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
Heb 10:22-23 (NIV)
So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. 36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. 37 For in just a very little while,
"He who is coming will come and will not delay.
Heb 10:35-37 (NIV)
PRAYER
Father I know many people that are suffering and longing for relief, strengthen their faith Lord until you bring them into your rest.
