Hebrews – Page 15 – Be Still…

Hebrews 6:1-12 – Don’t Go There

Some troubling verses pop in today’s reading. We all know people who have been close to us in the body of Christ and then drifted away for one reason or another. Perhaps there was a relationship meltdown, or difficulty with unanswered questions, or feeling the expectations of the church were too limiting. The reality is we have a choice of whether we focus on growing closer to God or just coast along. Those who coast will certainly drift. The author knew this, and we’ve seen it too. It is merely good practice to be warned of the consequences or at least the probabilities of that choice.

The writer paints a pretty drastic and tragic picture here for his audience. Who would want to be locked out the kingdom of God with no possibility of being redeemed? Those who scoff wouldn’t care at first, but when enlightenment returned, if ever, what then? The reality is that more times than not, people don’t return. There is no desire. Continue reading “Hebrews 6:1-12 – Don’t Go There”

Hebrews 5:11-14 – Growing Up

Read Hebrews 5:11-14

How long have you been a Christian, that is a Christ follower who believes and trusts in Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Maybe you always remember being a Christian, maybe you’re just beginning to experience Jesus’ life-saving grace. We are all walking along in our faith journey at different points with experiences to share. We are growing up in our faith daily by spending time with God, reading his word, seeking his will for our life.

The original readers of this text were brand new Christians, Jewish Christians, who had so much to learn. They knew how to be Jews, but their whole world changed when they claimed Jesus as their Messiah. Many had probably been left behind by their family members who remained true to Jewish belief that the Messiah had not yet come. Imagine the turmoil inside them. It makes sense they would need the counsel of other Christians further along in the journey and understanding to come alongside them. Continue reading “Hebrews 5:11-14 – Growing Up”

Hebrews 4:14-5:10 – Our High Priest

Read Hebrews 4:14-5:10

The verse that spoke loudest to me today was v. 16, “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” I have read that over and over several times. What an honor! We can come boldly before God. Jesus has made that possible. Before Jesus, our access to God was limited by communication through another human, a high priest.

Only those chosen by God could serve as a high priest. What a great honor. With this great privilege came quite a responsibility to the people. High priests were to go before God with the prayers and sacrifices of the people, only to turn around and go to the people with a blessing from God. It all changed when God appointed his Son, Jesus, to be our high priest. We now have access to God and can come boldly. Continue reading “Hebrews 4:14-5:10 – Our High Priest”

Hebrews 4:12-13 – Word of God

Read Hebrews 4:12-13

While today’s Bible reading is short, it’s powerful. Any time God’s word talks about itself I stop and listen. It’s the instruction book of life we all long to have. It’s our love story with God. It illuminates the foundation of what we believe. It’s God’s gift to us.

How many times do you read a familiar passage but it sounds different? There is a new message that jumps out this time that you didn’t hear before. That’s a great example of what the writer says here, “[F]or the word of God is alive and powerful.” God’s word is alive and speaks to us differently at different times. It certainly is powerful when you think of how it fits so beautifully together, building on itself, one passage supporting another. Continue reading “Hebrews 4:12-13 – Word of God”

Hebrews 4:1-11 – Rest is Important

Read Hebrews 4:1-11

Our last reading was about obeying God and taking the sabbath rest he intends for us. Today’s passage continues to focus on our need to rest in response to God’s provision. He has prepared it for us, so we should gratefully accept and enjoy. If we don’t, we are being disrespectful to God’s wishes. The author says that only those who believe can enter the rest. If we don’t take God up on his offer, are we saying we don’t believe?

If we say, “I don’t have time to rest,” that, too, is pretty lame. I’ve said those words myself, many times. Now as I’m reflecting on this passage, I’m feeling empowered to do better at resting. I’ve asked forgiveness for all the times of rest I’ve missed out on and set aside the feelings of guilt. Telling God we don’t have time for him is exactly what we’re doing when we fail to take his rest. Ouch – are you feeling empowered yet? Continue reading “Hebrews 4:1-11 – Rest is Important”