Joel Osteen Devotional July 20 2021 – Labor to Rest

Hebrews 4:11, ESV

Let us therefore strive to enter that rest.

“Strive” or “labor” to enter God’s rest. It sounds like a contradiction. God used that word because He knew it would take work to stay seated. It’s easy to stand up and worry over problems and try to fix everything in our own strength. That’s why it says to labor to enter His rest. It’s going to take effort. It doesn’t say work to straighten out your coworker, work to make that problem go away, or work to break that addiction. He says work to stay seated. Work to live from a place of resting in God’s grace and strength.

If you’re trying to break a bad habit, you should be determined and disciplined, but if you’re trying to force it to happen in your own strength, you’re not tapping into God’s grace. Jesus defeated every enemy, including that one. You’re not working to get the victory; you are working from the place of His victory. Stay in peace and let God make things happen that you couldn’t make happen.

Father, thank You for providing a place where I can rest in Your grace and strength to fight my battles. Thank You that I can stay in peace and know that You can make things happen that I never could. I believe that Jesus defeated every enemy and will bring me into victory. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.