Short Thoughts for Today

In reference to the 102nd Psalm, today' passage in Hebrews 1:10 says, "Thou, Lord, in the beginning didst lay the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Thy hands". The writer is again inspired to speak of the Son as Lord and creator. Speaking of the incarnate Son of God, the Apostle John wrote, "He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him".

The sun, the moon, the stars, the galaxies, their positions, their orbits, etc; well, they are the wonderful works of His wonderful hands. Speaking of our awesome creator, Isaiah wrote, "Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, And marked off the heavens by the span, And calculated the dust of the earth by the measure, And weighed the mountains in a balance And the hills in a pair of scales?"

The One who laid the foundation of the earth is Himself the foundation of our faith. In 1st Corinthians 3:11 we read, "For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ." More than two hundred years ago, John Rippon wrote the following words to the great hymn, How Firm a Foundation:

Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen and help thee, and cause thee to stand
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.

What a foundation is ours in the Lord Jesus Christ, the precious cornerstone of our faith!

Short Thoughts for Today

In Hebrews 1:8-9, continuing his dialogue regarding the Son of God, the Hebrew writer states, "But of the Son He says, "Thy throne, O God is forever and ever, and the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Thy God hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy companions."

The writer is inspired to assert the same truth spoken of by the Lord Jesus Himself when He proclaimed that those who had seen Him had seen the Father also; that He and the Father were one. In reference to the Son, the Apostle John declared , "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God". The throne of God which is forever and ever is the throne belonging to the Son; He is God.

Webster's defines scepter as "a staff or baton borne by a sovereign as an emblem of authority". Throughout human history, many who have claimed the role of sovereign have possessed scepters that were fashioned from various materials and in different designs. In the case before us, it is righteousness being borne by the Son of God, "He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords". His righteous scepter is not simply an emblem but a reality of His authority.

Short Thoughts for Today

Today's portion of scripture will be in Hebrews 1:6-7, where the writer is inspired to continue his proclamation of the Son of God as being superior to angels. We read, "And when He again brings the first-born into the world, He says, "And let all the angels of God worship Him." And of the angels He says, "Who makes His angels winds, and His ministers a flame of fire."

According to His perfect plan, when God brought His first-born into the world, His only begotten Son, He instructed the angelic realm to worship Him. It is God who brought His first-born into the world at the time and in the manner that He chose to do so. Scripture tells us that He came and died for the ungodly "at the right time". In every way, He is worthy of the angelic worship. Are they not being instructed to worship their creator? If not instruction, perhaps they are being afforded the honor of worshiping Him; not simply from duty but privilege.

Note the possessive wording in the latter portion of the passage. "His angels" and "His ministers" speak again to His role as the sovereign Creator. The angelic realm, consisting of an untold number of angels, is a part of His divine creation and as such they function as He allows and/or directs them. Who "makes His angels winds" and "His ministers a flame of fire"? The One Who is worshiped. They are subject to Him. The lesser to the greater. Praise again His more excellent name!

Short Thoughts for Today

As I continue in my attempt to "blog through" the book of Hebrews, we will begin our week today by considering God's Son and His more excellent name. Our scripture will be Hebrews 1:4, where the author concludes the sentence he began in verse 3, and then also include verse 5. In verse 4, he writes of the Son as "having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they" and in verse 5 he continues by writing, "For to which of the angels did He ever say, 'Thou art my Son, today I have begotten Thee'? And again, 'I will be a Father to Him, and He shall be a Son to Me'?"

We must take notice that the Son has "become as much better than the angels". He is not simply better but is declared "much better". This is not to diminish or somehow lower the position of angels. It is to proclaim the exalted position of the Son! As lofty as you might consider angels, consider Jesus as much better than they. The writer declares He has a more excellent name than they. What is this name that exalts Him so? He inherited it from His Father.

The word of God gives us the answer by asking the rhetorical question of angels found in verse 5. "For to which of the angels did He ever say".... ? To none of the angels has He ever said, "Thou art My Son, Today I have begotten Thee" or "I will be a Father to Him, and He shall be a Son to Me". So this more excellent name, the name that exalts Him as much better than the angels, is the name Son, "the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth". By grace we have come to know the exalted One, the One who is seated at the right hand of the Majesty on high; the Son. May we grow to know Him better.

Short Thoughts for Today

Today I will conclude my short thoughts on Hebrews 1:3. Again, the entire text is as follows: "And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high." Today's thoughts will be on the last sentence of this verse.

Oh how we ought to rejoice at the truth proclaimed here by the Hebrew writer! The Lord Jesus has accomplished a mighty work. He "made purification of sins". No one else could have completed this work. The One who knew no sin could only accomplish purification of sins. Yes, He who died for our sins according to the scriptures, who was buried and who was raised on the third day, according to the scriptures, is He who ascended and offered Himself as the sacrifice for sin. This work, spoken of in the past tense, is completed and never to be performed again.

This finished work is further proclaimed to be so in the position He has taken. He is seated. As we go on in the book of Hebrews we will see that He is not idle in this seated position. But in regards to making purification of sins, He has done so sufficiently, once for all time. The scripture tells us that He sits "at the right hand of the Majesty on high". Again, there is no higher position than this for Him to be seated at. The "Majesty on high" is proclaiming to all of creation that the Lord Jesus' offering and sacrifice was sufficient, complete and acceptable. Perhaps the words were uttered from heaven many years ago, but their truth remains unchanged, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased".

Short Thoughts for Today

Yesterday I shared a few thoughts on the first portion of Hebrews 1:3. Again, the entire verse reads as follows: "And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high." Yesterday's thoughts focused on Jesus being the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His nature. Today I will consider His power to uphold all things. I plan to conclude my short thoughts on the remainder of this verse tomorrow.

But today we see that He is the power that upholds all things. Regarding the Lord Jesus, the beloved Apostle John wrote, "All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being". The One who upholds all things is Himself the creator of all things. In Colossians 1:17, the Apostle Paul wrote, "He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together". The sun and the moon and the stars of heaven will function tomorrow as their designer creator upholds them. The sun will cease to govern the day and the moon will cease to govern the night when He determines their purpose fulfilled. The tide will continue to ebb and flow, and the oceans will keep their boundaries as He upholds them. Photosynthesis, pollination, evaporation, etc. will all continue as He upholds them.

Because we live in a world where uncertainty surrounds us, we should find rest and assurance in this great truth. He upholds all things by the word of His power! If His power upholds all things, upholds the very creation that we stand in awe of, can we not trust Him to uphold our lives? Can He not uphold our marriages and our families? Our churches? The ministries He has put us in? The word of His power says that He can.

Short Thoughts for Today

Today's scripture is Hebrews 1:3, where the author wrote, "And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high." What a great verse of scripture! I must limit my comments on this verse by focusing on just a portion of it today.

The Hebrew writer echos the great truth spoken by Jesus Himself. In John's Gospel we see Jesus saying, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father" and "I and the Father are one". In 2 Corinthians 4:4, the Apostle Paul was inspired to write that Jesus was "the image of God" and in Colossians 2:9 that "in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form". We have both an invitation and an admonition to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ".

As the writer to the Hebrews proclaimed, Jesus is the radiance of the glory of God. Perhaps it was not meant to be so, but I see this in two ways. The glory of God radiates from His Son and His Son is the essence of the glory that radiates from God. The Son is not simply like the Father. He is the "exact" representation of His nature. The nature of God, in every particular detail is represented in His Son. Would we dare to know God more intimately? May we grow in our knowledge of His Son. What a privilege is ours!

Short Thoughts for Today

The scripture for today's devotion is Hebrews 1:1-2. "God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world."

It had been "long ago" that He had spoken "to the fathers" but praise God that He did not remain silent, but sovereignly spoke again! As He spoke this time, He was speaking in a different manner as He spoke in His Son, the One through whom He had also made the world. As the Holy Spirit uses His word and moves in the hearts and minds of His children, we see that God is still speaking in His Son today. Truly, "the word of the Lord endures forever".

In 1 John 3:1 the Apostle John wrote, "See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are". I have come to love that last phrase, "and such we are". We are not simply called children of God in word only, but in deed and in truth we are His children.

Romans 8:17 tells us, "and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ". We see in today's passage that Christ was "appointed heir of all things". May we seek His help to comprehend this amazing truth. We are fellow heirs with the One who has been appointed heir of all things. As we consider our glorious position in His Son, let us have ears to hear the many wonderful truths He has spoken through Him.

Something New for Pause and Ponder

For some time I have considered adding a short daily devotional as part of my blog. I will endeavor to do just that, keep them short. I will continue to write longer articles as the Lord leads. I still hope to do this every week or every other week if possible. There are times when it takes me longer to get my thoughts out of my head and into words.

I plan to start posting the daily devotional on Tuesday, April 21st, and will entitle it "Short Thoughts for Today". Unless the Lord directs differently, the book of Hebrews will be that portion of God's word that I will be sharing my thoughts on each day. I will post this daily thought Monday through Friday. I ask that you pray for me as I attempt "blogging through Hebrews". Pray that I may write only that which is for the edification of His Church and His glory.

The Hammer and Nail

How do I share a few thoughts about Easter without going on and on? There is so much one could say regarding the various aspects of this great Christian celebration. Its topic is so grand and its substance so bountiful, that to do it justice is a difficult task for one such as I. How does one who has been familiar with sin all of his life, write about the One who knew not sin but became sin for me? I am convinced that this is only made possible through the promised work of the Helper. I must rely on His desire that we know Him and that we be used to help others to know Him also.

As it is difficult to discuss the birth of our Lord Jesus without mentioning His death, burial and resurrection, so also is it difficult to discuss His death, burial and resurrection without mentioning His birth. Perhaps it is not as universally accepted amongst all professing believers as we might hope, but the scripture solidly ties these matters together. No amount of false teaching, or wrongly dividing the word of truth can sever them in their connection to one another. Jesus was born to die. The gospel writers proclaimed that He "did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many". The baby Jesus, who had one day laid in a manger in Bethlehem, had come to one day hang on a cross on Golgotha.

The true Easter story does not suggest that Jesus was simply a very good man, perhaps even the best of all men, who was mistreated and eventually murdered by those acting wickedly. The true Easter story unashamedly proclaims that Jesus was born to die. That it was the Father's will to crush Him. That it was the Father's will for Him to partake of "this cup". In John 18:11 we read Jesus' words to Peter where He said, "Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?" So make no mistake and do not be lead astray from this important truth; it was the sovereign plan of the Godhead that God the Son would partake of flesh and blood, dwell amongst men, and "give His life", reconciling us to God.

Although I know that He was born to die, I have often wondered at what point in His earthly life He become aware of what lay before Him. At what point in His humanity did He comprehend that He would suffer the physical punishment inflicted upon Him and the cruelty of crucifixion. At what point did He know that He would come face to face with the horrific consequence of sin, suffering, if even for a moment, something He knew not, separation from His Father. Experiencing that which would cause Him to cry out with a loud voice, "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?" as He was taking upon Himself the sins of the world. I suppose it is not important to know when He became aware of the things that lay before Him as He grew up. Just knowing that He accomplished all that He came to do is sufficient for us.

The word reveals that Jesus grew up in the home of a carpenter. I can only imagine that early in His life He saw His earthly father, with strong loving hands, hands that had held Him, use the hammer and nail. Perhaps He would watch Joseph as he would build or repair something with these tools of his trade. Like most boys, not to suggest that He was simply a boy like any other, I can only imagine that He desired to use the hammer and nail as His father did. To build something. To fix something. We know that in time, like Joseph, He too would be called a carpenter, becoming familiar with the hammer and nail. At some point in His life, I expect that He saw the hammer and nail used for a different purpose and in a different manner. Surely He became aware, and perhaps witnessed the crucifixion of criminals by the Roman soldiers, knowing that an unloving hand had wielded the hammer in those cases as men were nailed to their crosses.

In time, "He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross", aware that His heavenly Father would also use the hammer and nail. No, He would not hold the nails or swing the hammer, but He would use the very men His Son would die for to nail Him to timbers He had created. "The certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us" would be nailed there also. This hammer and these nails would not be used to build or repair a cabinet or a boat, a chair or perhaps a house of this world. But as only God could cause it to happen, they would be used to build His Church and repair the sin-affected souls of men. We know the crucifixion story. It was a gruesome sight to be sure. It was meant to be a severe punishment for the vial criminal. But as sure as His crucifixion was, so also was His resurrection.

Again, make no mistake, His life was not taken from Him, He gave it freely. The importance of this is crucial. Jesus spoke of the necessity of this truth when John recorded Him saying in John 10: 17 -18, "For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down my life so that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on my own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father". This "authority" and this truth that His life was given and not taken made His resurrection and the hope of our own possible. The Apostle Paul, summing up our faith and hope when speaking to the Council said, "Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; I am on trial for the hope and resurrection of the dead!" Writing to the Romans and speaking of Jesus, Paul said He "was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord."

Although there are many people who have been used by God in special ways throughout history, a very unique man comes to mind in this resurrection story. He is Joseph of Arimathea, described as a "prominent member of the Jewish council, who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God". The scriptures tell us that Joseph was the man who took the body of Jesus from the cross to the tomb. I have it in my mind that Joseph lovingly washed the mistreated body of our Lord before he carefully wrapped Jesus' body in His grave cloths. He placed the face cloth over the loving eyes that had gazed down at His mother and the others who had gathered near His cross, covering the mouth that had once spoken only the things of His Father. Joseph, while surely handling His body carefully, must have experienced the reality of His death like no other. The cloths that Jesus was wrapped in and the cloth that covered His face would not be needed for their intended use, but they would be used by God as a sign of His resurrection power.

Each Gospel writer tells us of the risen Lord, although each do so in their own way. Mathew says that when Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave, an angel spoke to them saying, "Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying". Mark's Gospel tells us "a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe" said to the women that had come to the tomb, "Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He is risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him." And Luke's account says that when the women entered the tomb, "they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus" and that "two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing; and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, 'Why do you seek the living One among the dead? He is not here, but He has risen." And the Apostle John tells us that when he arrived at the tomb "he saw the linen wrappings lying there" and that Simon Peter entered the tomb and also "saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself".

The message was simple yet profound. He was not there. He had risen. The grave clothes were there but Jesus was alive and was no longer amongst the dead. Following His birth, joy was had when He was found "wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger". Following His death, joy would come because He was not found! Only His grave cloths were found within the tomb! Praise the Lord. Jesus would go on to make several appearances to His disciples before ascending to be seated at the right hand of His Father. It is one of those appearances that I wish to close with.

You may recall the story. Peter had proclaimed to the others, "I am going fishing" and they had responded by saying, "We will also come with you". They fished through the night but had caught nothing. Standing on the shore and unrecognized by the disciples, Jesus said, "Children, you do not have any fish, do you?" They had rightly responded to Him by telling Him "No". He then instructed them on where to cast their net and after doing as He said, they caught a large number of fish and John recognized the Lord Jesus. The disciples then returned to the shore and found Jesus there.

But they also found something we should stop and consider, if only for a few moments. There was "a charcoal fire already laid" and fish and bread placed upon it. Jesus told them to bring some of the fish they had caught and implored them, "Come and have breakfast". He then served them the fish and bread. I find this quite amazing. Only days before, all of His disciples had fallen away as He had said they would. He had suffered terribly at the hands of the Roman soldiers, mocked and ridiculed by the people and then crucified, forsaken by His Father as He bore the sins of the world. He had met their greatest need and now He was meeting their basic needs. He desires to do the same for you and I. To meet our greatest need, forgiveness of sin, and continue to meet our basic needs each day. He wishes to keep providing for and equipping us. Yes, He has given eternal life to all who confess that Jesus is the Son of God. But He wants to be our portion, our source for daily living.

If you recall the story, it was after this breakfast that Jesus told Peter to "tend My lambs", to "shepherd My sheep" and to "Tend my sheep". I suppose if we quiet our hearts and lives, and listen carefully, we may hear Him saying, "Come and have breakfast". How will we respond to His invitation? Many have been skipping this breakfast with Jesus for too long and have grown weary and weak in His service. I find that this must be, at least in part, a cause for our struggle to tend His sheep as we should? We must "come and have breakfast" with Jesus.

Father, we acknowledge and thank You for these undying truths that You have given. "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures". "He was buried" and "He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures". Thank You for those great words of hope spoken long ago. "He is not here." "He has risen." Thank You that You "raised Him up on the third day and granted that He become visible". You inspired the great apostle to write "If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied" But our hope in Christ is indeed beyond this life, because He has been raised from the dead. No, we are not to be pitied. We should be, more than all men, rejoicing in the hope we have found in the risen Savior. As sure as His birth was His death and as sure as His death was His resurrection. And as sure as His resurrection will be His return for His Church. Father, we thank You for these truths. Amen.

The Former Days

We are familiar with some of the verses. In Ephesians 4:1 we read, "Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called". In Colossians 1:10 we read, "so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God". In 1 Thessalonians 2:12 we read, "so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory". And in 1 John 2:6 we read, "the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked". These verses seem to demand our attention and perhaps a question. How is my walk? How is your walk? I would suggest that our answers are crucial as we consider our relationship with the Lord and the health of His Church.

I have long appreciated the words of the beloved Apostle John, where in his third epistle he wrote, "I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth". He was expressing this joy to "the beloved Gaius", the recipient of the letter, whom John had received testimony about regarding his walk in the truth. In John's second epistle, writing to "the chosen lady and her children", he wrote, "I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, just as we have received commandment to do from the Father".

As a father, and as one who has been privileged to serve others in the body of Christ, I believe I have a growing understanding of the joy the apostle spoke of. I suppose that each believer who has endeavored to parent their children in the way of the Lord or who has been involved in the discipleship of others in His Church can understand the joy that John expressed in these two epistles.

I would like to share a few thoughts regarding the apostle's words in his second epistle. As we read his words carefully, we will note that John spoke of "some" and not "all" of the children walking in truth. Some, to be sure, were doing so, but not all of the children were walking in truth. This makes practical sense and I believe would be truthful of any group of believers. We are not told if the number was large or small; if those walking in truth were the majority or the minority. But John's focus in the passage is not on the numbers, but on the children who were walking in truth and the gladness it brought him. I think this is important for us to consider. All may not be walking in truth as we might hope, but we must rejoice in those who are. And although I believe this is the right focus to have, we cannot and should not deny the reality of the other. Joy is often replaced by sorrow when our children, spiritual or biological, are not walking in truth. For those we must pray and be available to God for His use in their lives if He calls us so.

If He finds it an instrument of edification, I know that God may use this article in however He chooses and with whomever He chooses. But my hope is that just one of those other children, one of us who is struggling to walk in truth, will be spoken to in a life changing way by the One who is the Truth. Over the years, I have seen for myself and have heard from others, of those brothers and sisters in Christ who were "running well" but who now, for whatever reason, have been hindered in their walk with the One who is not ashamed to call us brethren. Despite being new creatures in Christ, they have found themselves walking as "mere men". We have all witnessed the results that have been left behind, some more tragic than others, but all having an adverse effect on the body of Christ and the people and families that compose it.

Time and space prohibit me from exploring all that God has said about our walk and the admonishments to walk in a particular manner. But I would like to look at two passages of scripture from the Book of Hebrews and pray that they might be used mightily by the One who inspired their writing. The first one is found in the 12th Chapter, in verses 11-12, where the writer admonishes us to "run with endurance, the race that is set before us". First of all, I have taken the position that all who are born again, all who have been made part of the body of Christ through the saving work of the Spirit, by grace are in the race. The race has been set before each of us. Perhaps all are not running well, but each of us has the race before them.

Several years ago, a single word in this passage struck me as having great significance. It is the word "endurance". We should make no mistake as to the importance of its place in this verse. I have come to believe that too many have only wished to run a short distance, perhaps running hard, but only for a season. Too many have attempted to take any and all perceived short cuts, wishing, if they think possible, to dictate the course, avoiding the Rule Book and expecting others to run the rest of the way without them. But we are called to run with endurance. Webster's defines "endurance" as "the ability to withstand hardship or adversity" or "the ability to sustain a prolonged stressful effort". Endurance is not needed for the "easy road" but it is not the "easy road" we are called to walk or run. I believe strongly, and feel compelled to say, that once the race has been set before you, once you have entered the race by the gracious work of God, it is not an option to get out. I know this is contrary to what some may teach. You may or may not be found running well, but nonetheless the race remains before you.

The second passage of scripture that I would like to consider is found in Hebrews 10:32- 35. Here the writer admonishes, "But remember the former days, when after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings, partly by being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations, and partly by becoming sharers with those who were so treated. For you showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and a lasting one. Therefore, do not throwaway your confidence, which has a great reward."

It appears that early on, "after they had been enlightened" by the Spirit, to the truth that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God, the Hebrew believers had been running well. They had been living by faith, trusting God and finding great hope and peace in His promises. This was evidenced in their walk. I would submit that it was by faith, and the confidence it generated, that they were able to endure "a great conflict of sufferings". They had been fixing their eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith. They had been looking heavenward, setting their "mind on things above, not on the things that are on earth". They had "showed sympathy to the prisoners", undoubtedly believers who had been imprisoned for their faith, at a time when doing so meant persecution. But they did so regardless, enjoying the rewards of faith and confidence as they ministered to the body of Christ.

It was by faith they had come to believe and understand the "better" and "lasting" possession that belongs to the child of God. Some might say that this possession was forgiveness, everlasting life, a home in heaven, or the Righteous One Himself. But by faith they had come to know and be filled with the joy of this truth. As indicated above, this is what allows the believer to endure, "to withstand hardship or adversity" as he is strengthened by His might. So real and effectual had been their faith and confidence in the One who is faithful and true, that the writer says they had "accepted joyfully the seizure of their property". Such thinking was only possible, and would only remain possible, as they kept "seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God". Therein lies a common problem facing the body of Christ. Our enemy, or should I say enemies, the devil, the world and the flesh work together to distract and hinder us from remaining fixed on Jesus, from gazing obediently and lovingly towards the Savior.

For a moment, let us consider one admonition from the Hebrew writer to His readers. Again, remember that they had known living by faith and had seen first hand the faithfulness of God. It was not something they had simply heard about or knew existed for others; they had experienced it themselves. But now, with the race still before them, they were being admonished to "not throw away" their "confidence, which has a great reward". This was a confidence that for a time had been rightly placed in the Lord and the sufficiency of His promises. Perhaps it was not conscience or intentional, but they now found themselves in a situation of throwing this most precious treasure away, as if it had no value. Throwing away their confidence in God, the One who is always faithful. The only One we can truly have confidence in. Oh, the treasures and rewards of being confident in Christ!

I intentionally skipped over the first admonition in this passage, but believe it is of the utmost importance in preventing us from throwing away our confidence. Those receiving the Hebrew letter were first admonished to "remember the former days". The days when living by faith and trusting the God of creation had been their way of running. No, not when they were perfect, but when they had been looking to and trusting in the perfect One. They were being challenged to remember how it was when they had shown sympathy to the prisoners, in spite of the known consequences for doing so. To remember how it was that they had "accepted joyfully the seizure of their property". Yes, they were being called to remember the former days. Doing so would be vital for their walk.

I can only answer for my walk; for how I am running the race that has been set before me. But my challenge is this. If you find yourself amongst those who are throwing away their confidence, a confidence that once was your passion for life and service; I believe God would have you "remember the former days". And as you remember them, delight in the faithfulness of the Lord and be restored in your confidence in Him! He will never disappoint. Great is the reward for those whose confidence is in the Lord. This race that we're running is one which demands endurance. We have not the strength or power in ourselves to endure. But He will be faithful and be your source of power to do all that He calls you to. As Paul was inspired to proclaim in Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me". In Christ alone!

Father, we acknowledge your forever faithfulness. We are aware that you have called us to run with endurance the race that is set before us. Thank you for your provisions. Thank you for equipping us, empowering us and sustaining us. For those of the body of Christ who were once running well and for whatever reason have been hindered in the race, and are even now at a place of throwing away their confidence, we ask that you would intercede and cause them to remember the former days. May you help each one of us to keep our eyes fixed on your Son Jesus, receiving His power to walk worthy, to run well, and to do so with endurance. May you cause us to be children with great confidence and faith, knowing that our toil is not in vain, "For yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay"!