How are you? How is your week going? Have you remembered your warning?
I feel like so much of parenting is warning. I tell my kids not to lean too much on the chair, or they will fall down. I tell my kids that if they do not listen to my commands, they will be disciplined. I tell my kids that if they play with certain dangerous items like an electric outlet, they will get hurt.
We all warn our children. We warn them out of love. We warn them, because it is what is best for them. We warn them, because they are ours.
We saw a word of warning at the end of Psalm 95 that we looked at this past Sunday. The psalmist just talked about how God is our great Creator. He is the only God. He is King over the universe. Not only that, He loves us and is present with us. He is transcendent and also immanent. He is powerful and also personal. He is above us and also with us. This is our God.
That’s why if He is our loving Shepherd King, He will warn us. He will warn us out of love. He will warn us, because that is what is best for us. He will warn us, because we are His. We are His children.
What is the warning? We must not walk in sin. We must not fight the temptation to doubt and to grumble. We must not put God to the test, but instead, we should walk in the newness of life. We should not harden our hearts, but instead, we should be open and soft to the Lord.
If we do not heed the warning, what will happen? Essentially, the psalm says that we will not enter God’s rest. This is a warning for those who are not in Christ. But what does this mean for those who are in Christ?
It is simple. Christ received the judgment for our sin. He received the wrath for our hardness of heart. He experienced ultimate restlessness so that we may enter into His rest.
He has received the curse of this warning, so that we may have the ability and the power to walk in the grace of this warning.
New Life, take some time today and soften your heart before the Lord. Remember the cross. Repent and trust in His grace. Rest in His presence. And walk in the newness of life for His glory.
See you on Sunday for Lord’s Day Worship!
In Christ,
Pastor Tim
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