“Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
“For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
“For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest” (Heb 4:1-3).
Begone unbelief, My Savior is near
And for my relief will surely appear
By prayer, let me wrestle
And He will perform
With Christ in the vessel
I smile at the storm
The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews began the fourth chapter of the book with a solemn admonition concerning the promises God has made to us. After considering what happened to the children of Israel on the way to the Land of Promise, he warned that we should therefore be careful and with reverence attend to the promises God has left us, lest we also come short of our inheritance. The promise of a great inheritance was made to them, as it has been made to us, but many of them could not enter into their inheritance. Some saw it afar off, and others tasted the proof of the inheritance brought in by the spies from Eshcol, but they did not enter or inherit the land because of unbelief.
Christ Jesus our Lord has left us an abundant inheritance and multifaceted promises covering every area of life, both now and in the world to come. He promised to always be with us, individually and as a corporate body. He is with me always. He is with you always and will never forsake you.
“For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
“So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me” (Heb 13:5b,6).
The Lord has promised to be our very present help. He is always with us and will support and uphold us in times of need. This is our heritage as children of God. This is our confidence.
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
“Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.
“There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.
“The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah” (Psa 46:2-6,7).
This indeed is our confidence. We are at peace. We shall not be afraid, even when the earth is being shaken to her core, because the Lord of Hosts is with us. The river of God is our inheritance.
“For the kingdom of God is not food and drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom 14:17). Jesus Christ our Lord has been made our righteousness, and we are the righteousness of God in Him. Our heritage as children of the Kingdom is not food and drink, but righteousness, peace, and joy. We have peace that passes all understanding, even in the midst of the storm. We are the righteousness of God because of what Christ did on our behalf. And therefore we inherit the peace of God. For “the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance for ever” (Isa 32:18). “And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting-places” (Isa 32:17,18).
The Psalmist talks about God being our Shepherd, who leads us in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. As our Shepherd, He supplies our needs according to His riches in glory. We never suffer any want because God is our provider. He’s our Jehovah-Jireh, our El-Shaddai, the God that is more than enough. This is the heritage of the saints.
“Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever” (Psa 23:5,6). Provision in abundance and goodness and mercy is our inheritance.
His covenant of peace and mercy is our heritage as the people of God. Thus says the Lord:
“For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee.
“Oh thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colors, and lay thy foundations with sapphires. And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.
“And all thy children shall be taught from the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children” (Isa 54:10-13).
And not only is the peace of God our inheritance, great shall be the peace of our children. This inheritance passes on to our children and our children’s children. Blessed be His holy name!
We are citizens of the city of God. We are the inhabitants of Mount Zion, and the River of God is our source of sustenance. This stream makes us glad. It brings us provisions and healings; it flows to us bringing all sorts of spiritual and physical blessings from the Throne of God. And after supplying us with all that we need, it flows through us to others, and thus we become channels of blessing to the world around us.
The Living Water flowing from the throne of God and from the Lamb is part of our blessed heritage. It fills us with peace and prosperity. It fills us with fresh life in abundance. It makes us vibrant and full of strength and joy in the Holy Ghost, and out of our bellies flow “rivers of living water.” Gladness and joy in the Holy Ghost are our heritage. Showers of blessings from the presence of our God are our promised inheritance as the children of Zion.
“Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.
“And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil.
“And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you” (Joel 2:23-25).
The promise of revival and restoration belongs to us, the church of Jesus Christ. The prophet here encourages us to be glad and rejoice because the Lord God has promised to send us showers of blessing. Not only has He promised to send the former rain to us again this end-time, but He has even promised to send us a double portion revival. He has promised to send us both the “former” and the “latter” rains, at the same time, in the first month. Blessed be His holy name forever more!
To make sure we are all in sync with regard to the “children of Zion,” we need to read the twelfth chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews. Yes, the phrase “children of Zion,” on the first level, refers to the Jews; however, our reference above is to that Mount Zion situated in the heavenly Jerusalem of which we’ve been speaking.
“But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
“To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
“And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel” (Heb 12:22-24).
The prophet Joel, without missing words, stated above that part of our inheritance is complete restoration. As children of Zion, God has promised to restore to us all the years that the locust and the cankerworm and the palmerworm hath eaten. This is an inheritance we can cash in on today; we can begin to take back all the devil has stolen from us with sevenfold return.
“For the LORD will comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody” (Isa 51:3).
Be comforted, therefore, saints of God, for full restoration, total and complete, is ahead of us. This is part of the package reserved in heaven for us.
And for today, God has left us daily restoration and renewal. As we look upon His face and wait upon Him, He has promised to renew our days as the eagles.
“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint” (Isa 40:31). “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake” (Psa 23:2,3).
It goes without saying that the opportunity to enter into the Throne room and wait upon the Most High is a great privilege. Prayer, which is communication and fellowship with the Almighty God, is the heritage of the children of God—not just for the great opportunity of asking for things and getting our needs met by Him, but for the unrestricted access to the presence of God Almighty. We have a standing invitation to come in boldly, not just to visit, but to dwell there in His presence.
And as we dwell in His pavilion, many of His promises are activated for us. Prayer takes us into that secret place of the Most High, and if we abide there, we will literally live in the inheritance He reserved for us.
