Category: Hebrews

Hebrews 12:7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?   

I’m not going to lie–today’s verses make me profoundly uncomfortable. And I’m not even sure why since, as a parent, I know that discipline is necessary to help children know boundaries–what’s acceptable, what’s not, how to navigate the two–and knowing and keeping healthy boundaries is essential for a good life.

Hebrews 12:8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 

I think it is the word discipline–which, apparently, has a very negative connotation for me. It strikes me as harsh, belt or switch in hand, severe punishment. And my Savior is not harsh or severe. He is loving and merciful. He wants what is best for me. He wants me to live a good life, a godly life, and He will help me stay on track by guiding and instructing me, not by harsh punishment.

Hebrews 12:9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live!

Precious Savior, Today’s scripture has brought up some interesting baggage for me. Thank You that I see You as a loving parent, guiding, instructing, showing mercy and grace and not as a harsh disciplinarian, punishing, hurting, negatively disciplining. Thank You that no matter how I view it semantically, You are with me to guide me on Your path. Thank You. Amen.

Hebrews 12:10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.

Have a blessed day.

Hebrews 12:3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Lord, It is so easy to grow weary and lose heart. The daily grind wears us down until we feel raw and fragile and prickly. Help us, even when our edges are sharp, even when we are just over it all, to keep our eyes on You, the author and perfecter of our faith.

Hebrews 12:4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 

Father, When we are in the middle of the struggle, it is overwhelmingly easy to be consumed by the fight, to feel that it defines us, devours us. Help us to cling to You. Help us to gain perspective that can only come from being close to You. Help us to persevere.

Hebrews 12:5 And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,

Precious Savior, Thank You that we can come to You when we are weary. Thank You that we can lay our burdens at Your feet and wrap ourselves in Your peace. Help us to be more like You. Help us to cling to You. Help Us, precious Savior. Amen.

Hebrews 12:6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”

Have a blessed day.

Hebrews 12:1a Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.

When you are driving a car, the wheel unintentionally skews in the direction you are looking. Look left for more than a second, and you’ll notice the car beginning to drift toward the left. Look right, same deal. It’s a fascinating fact, and more than a bit scary, as looking too long can impact your trip in a very negative way.

Hebrews 12:1b And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us…  

Our faith is like that as well. If we keep our eyes on Jesus, we’ll be fine. We’ll live a life that is aligned with Him. But if we get distracted, looking to the right or the left, we’ll start to drift off course, and the longer we look, the more certain we change our intended course.

Hebrews 12:2a …fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

Precious Savior, Thank You for the reminder to fix our eyes on You. The world won’t fall apart if we don’t, but we’ll keep drifting farther and farther away, leaving us somewhere we really don’t want to be. Help us to focus on You, to cling to You. Always. Amen.

Hebrews 12:2b …For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

Have a blessed day.

Hebrews 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

Embarrassingly, the full impact of Heb 13:5 only hit me a few years ago. When I read it, I often segment it, taking it in sections, which is still powerful but definitely lacks the impact of the full verse.

Hebrews 13:5a Keep your lives free from the love of money….

We are cautioned, reminded, to keep our lives free from the love of money and to be content with what we have—definitely a tall order in our retail-heavy society. But it’s the WHY that’s crucial. We are to do these things—not be caught up in money, be content with what we have—BECAUSE God promises never to leave us nor forsake us. We can be content, we should be content, because God’s got us. Always.

Hebrews 13:5b …be content with what you have….

Lord, Thank You for the caution and reminder in verse 5. Thank You for never leaving us nor forsaking us, no matter what. Help us to fully believe and live that promise. Amen.

Hebrews 13:5c …because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

Have a blessed day.

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles….

When I read Hebrews 12, I always think of the Flying Pirate Half Marathon at Nags Head. I ran that one year, and my entire family came down to cheer me on. They made signs, popped up at many points throughout the race to cheer, and even brought my mom to the finish line so she could see me cross. It was THE best race ever.

Hebrews 12:1b-2a …And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith….

But what made it such an amazing race was the people, my people, who encouraged me continually. It was the love they showed to put everything on hold for the weekend so that they could be there for me. Their presence, their love, their encouragement gave me strength to persevere when I was flagging. I was able to finish the race strong because of their love and support.

Hebrews 12:2b …For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Lord, Thank You for the amazing family You have blessed me with. Thank You for the example of how important love, support, and encouragement are in the race of life. Help me to encourage others in the way my family encourages me. Amen.

Hebrews 12:3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Have a blessed day.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

This chapter is all about faith, and the words “By faith” appear in this chapter at least 21 times. Faith is such a nebulous concept, incredibly abstract, and this chapter seeks to define it with all these examples of people from the Bible who have acted by faith.

Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Faith is hard to define, but the rewards of faith—pleasing God, believing He exists, being rewarded with His presence when earnestly seeking Him—are beautiful gifts.

Hebrews 11:11 And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise.

Lord, Faith can be hard at times because it is the trust, the belief that You are who You say You are, that You have done what You say You’ve done, that You will do what You say You will do. I trust Your promises. I believe You are faithful. I believe. Help me unbelief. Amen.

Hebrews 11:13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.

Have a blessed day.

Hebrews 10:22 …let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings….

The parallel structure of these verses appeals to me: let us draw near, let us hold unswervingly, let us consider how. These verses are an invitation, because of our belief in Christ, to persevere in our faith.

Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

These verses are an invitation, not a command. We are invited because of our faith in Christ to draw near, to hold unswervingly, to consider how. The conditions are set, but it’s up to us to act. If we do nothing, there will be no benefit to our faith.

Hebrews 10:24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds…

Lord, Daily You extend invitations to us—to deepen our faith, to be Your hands and feet, to live in joy and hope, to draw near, to hold unswervingly, to consider how. Thank You. Help us to look for those invitations and to act on them. Increase our faith as we glorify Your name. Amen.

Hebrews 10:25 …not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another….

Have a blessed day.

Hebrews 9:24 For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence.

Today is Christmas Day. We celebrate the birth of Jesus, Immanuel—God with us. And while Hebrews 9 doesn’t seem like tremendously Christmas-y scripture, as usual, God’s timing is perfect because Hebrews 9 reminds us why God became man and came down from heaven in the first place.

Hebrews 9:25 Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own.

Jesus was born to a virgin in a manger to redeem all of humanity. Jesus was born because God loves us so much He did not want to be separated from us by sin and death, so He sent His Son, Jesus, God incarnate, to live and work and preach and eventually die for us.

Hebrews 9:26 Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Lord, As we celebrate Christmas today, help us to be ever mindful of the best gift—Immanuel, God with us. Help us to be still and know that You are God. Help us to love You and love others and shine Your light. Always. Thank You for the gift of Jesus. Amen.

Hebrews 9:27-28 Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

Have a blessed day.

Hebrews 8:6 But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises.

Lord, Forgive us when we think we have all the answers. Know our hearts, that we are trying to do the right thing. Use it all for our good and Your glory.

Hebrews 8:7 For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another.

Lord, Forgive those who know or suspect that they aren’t doing the right thing, especially those doing it in Your name. Use what they intend for evil for Your good. Thank You that You can and do.

Hebrews 8:8 But God found fault with the people and said: “The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah….”

Lord, open our hearts to You and to Your people. Help us to see the needs and to be Your hands and feet in this world. Help us to just love everyone and let You sort them out later. Help us to shine Your light. Amen.

Hebrews 8:13 By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.

Have a blessed day.

Hebrews 7:18 The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless….

Lord, This chapter talks about You as the hope which anchors our soul. You are how we draw closer to God. You are who we can trust—when everything is going well AND when it’s all going to pot. We can count on You always. Thank You.

Hebrews 7:19 …(for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.

Lord, Thank You in this season of hope for showing up again and again and again. Thank You for loving us fiercely and for sending us God-winks, which could easily be excused as coincidences but which I truly believe are Your way of showing us You are near.

Hebrews 7:22 Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.

Lord, Be with us in this season. Christmas is a beautiful time, but it can also be traumatic and sad and lonely. Help us to be there for each other. Help us to pay attention to Your presence. Help us to cling to You always in hope. Amen.

Hebrews 7:24-25 …but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

Have a blessed day.