This verse was used by the writer of Hebrews to remind us that God's redemptive work was finished at Calvary leaving nothing more to do to redeem man. The writer used the Psalmist words from 95:7-11 to reinforce the truth.

If we read this complete text in Psalm, we'll understand that God taught an entire generation of believers what ignorance of God's word and disbelief can do. In the desert of disbelief, God let all of them die off because their hearts went astray. Is there a more fitting warning to our generation?

Somewhere between profession of faith and physical death, too many of us are deceived into thinking God is not to be feared. Such confidence begins with believing we have a will that is greater that God's. It matures with reasoning that truth has two sides rather than the double-edged sword that divides the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (Vs 12) It gets stiff and inflexible the longer a person lives outside of God's mercy and grace. It ends prematurely with physical death when a heart becomes so hard, it can't be softened through the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

Freedom of choice should not be confused with liberty. It's true that liberty gives us freedom to choose, but being saved never rubber-stamps God's blessing on our wrong choices. After all, nothing is hidden from God and one day after we take our last breath, we will stand in front of Him and give account for our wrong choices that were never confessed in this life. (Vs 13)

Many people want to be a strong prayer warrior, and shake the foundations of hell with their petitions. But the writer of Hebrews ends chapter 4 with a startling revelation. It is only those who enter the rest of God who have confidence to approach the throne of grace we call prayer. Everything else is presumption made by someone who believes God is reasonable and will not hold them accountable, even though they knew the truth and chose something else instead.

Jesus may be sympathetic to our weaknesses but that never gives us a pass on obedience. If you want to be a confident man or women of prayer, then surrender your freedom of choice to God and turn from anything that tempts you to do otherwise. Stand fast in your faith with an ever-increasing knowledge of God's word that gives you holy boldness to act on what it says.

It's only when we're ready to stand before God that we're ready to kneel before him! The next time you bow your head, ask yourself if you're ready to give account? If confidence is the door through which we approach God, then honest confession must be the knob that opens it.

1 Developed from Read the Bible Thru ( Ez. 3:16-6:14 Hb. 4:1-16 Ps. 104:25-35 Pr. 26:27 )
2. Scripture comes from the Holy Bible, New International Version; (c)1978 by New York International Bible Society

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