Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.

This warning follows a quote of Psalm 95:7-11.* Psalm 95 is inspired by the lack of belief in God of the people of Israel in the face of adversity back in Numbers 12-14.* Rebellion and unbelief plagued the people of Israel as they stared at the Promised Land through eyes of the fear of the giant Canaanites.* This unbelief cost them admittance into the rest that God had prepared for them in the Promised Land.*

It’s no small thing to stand before God with unbelief. The writer of Hebrews basically warns his audience not to be like the Israelites that did not get to enter the Promised Land.* The rest that the audience of the writer of Hebrews risked missing was rest eternal, and not just a piece of land free of war and full of supplies.* This warning of eternal significance extends to us as well.

There will come a time when all people stand before God. Our belief in Him or not will determine if we enter His eternal rest or not. Perhaps you are reading this today and you think, “I am good. I believe in Jesus and have received Him as both Savior and Lord.” This is vital, and it is to what the writer of Hebrews refers.

But, there is a space between the rest that the Israelites missed and the rest in the future that awaits those who believe: Sabbath.

How is your rest in this life? Do you believe the promises of God that He will care for you, provide for you, and deliver on His promises? If not, you may be forfeiting the rest that He has for you each week and each day.

It’s no small thing.

Need help? Don’t we all? The writer of Hebrews says, “exhort one another every day.” The journey of belief is to be walked in community.* We need community because we all need strong encouragement, and, according to God’s Word, we need it every day.

Today, take a step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to believe that He is who He says He is. Perhaps today you need to believe His promises even when there are giants standing before you. Maybe today God wants you to rest. Perhaps today He wants to speak to you about a sin in your life that birthed out of a lack of belief in Him. Maybe God wants you to re-engage in community to encourage and be encouraged.

Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.

Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus.

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*Stedman, R. C. (1992). Hebrews (Heb 3:7–19). IVP Academic.
Grindheim, S. (2023). The Letter to the Hebrews (D. A. Carson, Ed.; pp. 223–228). William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
France, R. T. (2006). Hebrews. In T. Longman III & D. E. Garland (Eds.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Hebrews–Revelation (Revised Edition) (Vol. 13, p. 61–65). Zondervan.
Guthrie, G. (1998). Hebrews (p. 129–130). Zondervan Publishing House.