TobyMac – REACHING HURTING WOMEN MINISTRIES

This year, our Bible study will take us through the powerful and hope-filled book of Hebrews. Each month on the 2nd Friday, we’ll discover how its timeless truths strengthen our faith, anchor our hearts, and help us run our race with victory in Christ.

What Is God’s Rest?

“Now if Joshua had succeeded in giving them this rest, God would not have spoken about another day of rest still to come. So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall.”
Hebrews 4:8–11 (NLT)

God’s true rest did not come through Moses, Joshua, or any other earthly leader.

The rest God offers is spiritual — and far superior to anything this world can provide. For believers, it begins now as peace with God and continues into eternity. It is the deep assurance that we are reconciled to Him, secure in His love, and held by His grace.

God’s rest allows us to live at peace with ourselves and others — and to walk through life with perseverance, even in difficult seasons.

A Rest That Still Remains

The Israelites stood at the edge of God’s promise, yet many failed to enter because of unbelief and disobedience. Hebrews reminds us that the same invitation still stands — not because God failed, but because His grace continues.

How Do We Enter God’s Rest?

“So, God’s rest is there for people to enter, but those who first heard this good news failed to enter because they disobeyed God. So, God set another time for entering his rest, and that time is today.”
Hebrews 4:6–7

God’s rest is not reserved for a select few.
It is offered to everyone — and the invitation is still today.

Entering God’s rest does not mean inactivity.
It means releasing self-effort and choosing faith.

We enter His rest when we:

- Believe that God desires a personal relationship with us
- Stop striving to manufacture peace through worldly solutions
- Trust Jesus Christ as the true source of lasting peace
- Receive Him fully as Savior and Lord

This is the effort Hebrews speaks of — the effort to trust, to believe, and to surrender.

RHW Victory Lens

True victory does not come from working harder or trying longer.
It comes from resting in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

When we trust Him, we enter the rest God designed for us — a rest that steadies our hearts, strengthens our faith, and carries us through every season of the race.

Reflection Questions

- Where have I been striving instead of trusting?
- What does rest in Christ look like for me right now?
- Are there areas where God is inviting me to surrender control?
- How can I intentionally choose rest this week?

Closing Prayer

Lord, thank You for inviting me into Your rest. Forgive me for the times I strive instead of trust and rely on my own strength instead of Yours. Teach me to rest in the finished work of Jesus and to live from a place of peace, not pressure. Help me receive the rest You so lovingly offer — today and always. Amen.

Worship Reflection

As you reflect on Hebrews 4, take a moment to breathe and listen. This song is a reminder that God invites us to rest — not by striving harder, but by trusting Him more deeply.

In MY VICTORY VERSES, we will explore key Bible verses that have shaped my life recovery journey since 2005. After sharing how these verses impacted me, we will dive into their meaning and how they bring lasting victory. This column publishes on the 3rd Friday of each month in 2025. This is the final column in this series for 2025.

“I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” ~ Philippians 3:12–14 (NLT)

For twenty years, these verses have been my anchor. They’ve carried me through seasons of uncertainty and constant change—job transitions that moved us from state to state, the ongoing roller coaster of recovery, the complicated dynamics of family, and the unpredictable adventure of being married to an entrepreneur. Each time life threw me into unknowns, Paul’s words reminded me to keep pressing forward—not in my own strength, but in the strength of Christ who has already claimed me as His own.

Even today, these verses continue to speak directly into my life. Mentally, emotionally, spiritually, physically, financially, and in business—I am pressing in on all fronts. I don’t know what tomorrow holds, but I know the One who holds tomorrow. God has promised to be with me, and His Word reminds me not to fear. My prayer is to walk wisely, to steward my time and energy well, and to one day look back with no regrets.

Paul’s focus was not on what lay behind him, but on what was ahead. That’s the invitation for each of us as we close out another year. We don’t have to live stuck in past mistakes, regrets, or even yesterday’s victories. Instead, we are called to keep moving forward, step by step, toward the prize of knowing Christ more fully and fulfilling His call on our lives.

As 2025 comes to an end, I find such hope in this truth: the race is not finished, and God is not done. With every challenge, every victory, every unknown—He is still calling us onward. Let’s press on together, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith.

There was a season when TobyMac’s song Move (Keep Walkin’) carried me day after day. Riding the city bus to a job where I was miserable and desperately needed more pay. I was striving so hard to move forward and this song became my anthem of perseverance. My husband and I clung to its message through some really rough times, and looking back now, I see how faithfully God kept His promises. We held on. We kept walking. And with His strength, we made it over that mountain. Today, as I hear the lyrics again, they echo Paul’s words in Philippians 3:12–14—pressing on toward the goal, refusing to give up, and trusting that Christ is with us every step of the way.

I pray this song gives you strength right where you are.