A Lesson from Hebrews...

So this morning I'm reading the book of Hebrews (which by the way is just jam-packed with interesting theology... i never really knew that before) and God's living word spoke to me again... just what i needed to hear, so i thought I would share...

First there is the encouragement... "Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching." - Hebrews 10:19-25

That to me was just a reassurance of faithfulness... something I need constant reminding of now a days....James 1:2-5 also reminds me that God's plan is still at work through my suffering: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."

I was reminded by this verse while I was reading Hebrews 10:35-36 which says, "So do not throw away your confidence, it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised."

That really hit home for me. In times of struggle, I think it is sometimes easy to question God's faithfulness... to forget that His promise could work through such suffering. That verse just called me out... don't throw away your confidence in God... in His faithfulness, don't throw away your assurance of faith in His promises. Earlier in Hebrews it reassures us of this ..."Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure." (Hebrews 6:17-19) God cannot lie. Therefore, if he says he will be faithful... he will be. His promise is secure... we have that hope... an anchor for our soul... i really need that anchor right now....

God is teaching me patience and developing my faith... Hebrews 11 is just one huge overview of my favorite old testament characters... it sums up most of the Old testament as a story of faith. It served as a reminder to me of how many other followers of God were asked to have faith... and how that faith is not easy.

It starts by saying, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for." (Hebrews 11:1-2) As I was reading through this great testimony of faith given in the Old testament, I was reminded of things that I have to learn this year. "By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going." (11:8) Even though he didn't know where he was going . I don't need to know God's plan in order to be faithful...

"By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, 'It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.' Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from the death." (11:17-19)

This verse right here gets to the heart of my struggle. Its personal, but I can't keep it inside... I've pretty much shared it before so anyways... God asked Abraham to give up the person he loved most on earth. even though God had revealed to him that through Isaac his offspring would be reckoned. To me that is saying... God showed Abraham a little bit of his plan... and then told him to do something that completely contradicted the plan. Abraham could have told God no way... he could have been selfish and kept Isaac alive for himself... he could have ignored God's directions... he could have reasoned with himself about how the he thought the plan should go... after all... if you believe God has revealed a part of his plan for you, and then He does something that - to the human brain - just doesn't make sense in the context of that plan... we would just like to say we know best...

Abraham is an example of a person who did a lot of things without understanding the plan. I'm not too good at that... I like to know what is going on... where I'm going... I like to think that I'm pretty smart, therefore I should be able to understand the plan. Well God is smarter than me... duh. I'm not going to be able to wrap my head around how he works -even in my own life- at times. God can work in whatever way he wants... he is God! Who am I to tell him how my life should work out...

Abraham had faith... confidence in God's promises. "He reasoned that God could raise the dead" That is a truth about God... Abraham didn't know that God would raise Isaac from the dead (figuratively he did because Abraham didn't have to kill his son after all - God saw his obedience and spared Isaac) but he still believed it was possible... he believed that God could do great and mighty things... that God's plan was better that his own.

There was the possibility that Abraham would kill Isaac, and he wouldn't be raised from the dead... that God had chosen another way to carry out his promise to Abraham... Abraham knew this as well. He was faithful anyways.

Imagine going to kill the person you love the most on earth. Having to kill your only son... that must have just ripped Abraham's heart right out. Still, he was willing to give him up... he had faith that, although he didn't understand, God was faithful and would fulfill his promises. I want to have that kind of faith. I want to be able to say that I was able to give up a person I love, through faith that God's plan is at work. I'm not saying that because Isaac was restored to Abraham that the person I am being asked to give up will be restored to me... there is the possibility that it won't happen, just like for Abraham there was a possibility that Isaac would not be raised from the dead. But there is a chance that our relationship can be restored... either way... I want to be faithful to God's plan. "I will not throw away my confidence, for I know it will be richly rewarded. I need to persevere so that when I have done the will of God, I will receive what he has promised me." (Hebrews 10:35-36)