We will do whatever you command us, and we will go wherever you send us.

They answered Joshua, “We will do whatever you command us, and we will go wherever you send us.”  Joshua 1:16

Joshua is a type of Christ.  Just as it was Joshua’s job to lead the children of Israel into the promised land, even so Christ, the antitype, leads us into our promised land.  Our promised land is the rest the is spoken about in the book of Hebrews.  It is a rest that we enter into here on earth and it means that we have ceased from our own works and it is the Lord who works through us.

For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. Heb 4:0-11

This rest, I believe, is a spiritual state that we can live in when we are connected to Christ. We enter this state through faith and obedience, just like the children of Israel entered the promise land.  Remember that the first group of Israelites did not enter in the promised land, because of their unbelief:

So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. Heb 3:19

In our ‘promised land’ we experience peace, joy, health, prosperity, and fruitfulness.  In our ‘promised land’ we are mighty warriors that wage war on the darkness that blinds the world from seeing the glory of God.  We are effective in that battle when we are in union with Christ, as he said in John 15:

I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. Jn 15:5

But just as the Israelites where carried away captive by their enemies because of disobedience, even so our disobedience carries us away from the rest of God. Now, we don’t have to stay that way for one moment! We can quickly repent and diligently find our way back into that rest.  Be diligent in prayer and study until you enter that rest.

How do you know if you’ve entered the rest of God? Easy. Do you have perfect peace? Do you have real inner joy and not just a fake smile that you work hard to put on?  Do you have a fruitful and effective ministry towards others (whether you are a minister or not)?  If you do not have these things, then you have not entered the rest of God.  You must devote yourself to prayer and meditation of God’s word until you enter and also be sure to do whatever He commands you and to go wherever He sends you.

Most christians have not entered this ‘promised land.’ Some have visited, but don’t stay long (I’m to0 often in that category).  Very few live there on a consistent basis. So here’s my admonishment to you and myself:

Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience. Heb 4:11