Hebrews 12:1-2

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.—Hebrews 12:1-2

Hebrews 12 describes the Christian life as a race that God has set before us.  According to the BLB, race is the ancient Greek word agona, a word used for conflict or struggle of many kinds.   John MacArthur describes it as an athletic metaphor that presents the faith-filled life as a demanding, grueling effort.  The English word “agony” is derived from the Greek word used here. 

 Life in this fallen world IS a struggle...filled with conflicts and trials.  The author of Hebrews tells us to run our own faith race with endurance.  The word endurance or patience  is translated hupomone in the Greek and means to line up under and remain there.  I am to run this race remaining under all the difficulties and challenges that God brings my way.  I am to stay in the place He has put me and endure by faith trusting that He who called me is faithful and will give me the grace and the strength to get through and to finish well.  I liked the way the BLB’s Outline for Biblical usage described endurance:

“in the NT the characteristic of a man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings”

We are to do this, verse 2 tells us, by fixing our eyes on Jesus.  The Amplified  says it this way:

“[ looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus”

I LOVE THAT!  Look away from all that distracts and focus our eyes on Jesus.  Jesus is not only the Author of our faith, but He is also the Finisher.  Look away from everything and unto Him who has promised to complete the good work He began in us.  Our sufficiency for this race is from Him. God is able to make all grace abound toward us so that we, having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.  

You will keep him in perfect peace,

Whose mind is stayed on You,

Because he trusts in You.

Trust in the LORD forever,

For in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength.—Isaiah 26:3-4

By Faith...Hebrews 11

This chapter obviously brings faith to mind...I thought about my own measure of faith.  As I thought, I decided that my biggest roadblock to simple faith is me.  I make it complicated.  Prayer is and should be a simple act of pouring our heart out to God.  For me...this is often not the case.  I get overwhelmed by me.  My heart truly loves God and my desire is to please Him.  I WANT to pray for everyone and everything.  I don’t want to leave anything out and at the same time I want to leave all in His hands.  I pray, but if prayer were a sport I think my follow thru would be weak. My faith often falters in the middle....especially when there are other people within earshot of my prayer. My eyes go to me and I become painfully self-aware and self-conscious.  My mind goes blank.  I forget for who or for what I was praying.  I start off well but finish with my eyes on me, rather than on God and the enemy of my soul...my flesh...wins.    My cynical, doubting, self-conscious and judgmental self rears her ugly head and like Peter, I sink.  I drown in a sea of me, myself and I’s.  I am thankful in those moments for each of these heroes and heroines of the hall of faith.  They were far from perfect but God used each one of them for His purposes.  He was faithful to complete the good work He started in them.  I can trust that God will do the same for very far from perfect me in my life.  He is faithful even when I am not.  In reality my God hears and answers my prayers despite me, because he hears my heart.  I can’t bring to Him what I don’t have...so I bring him me and he works, as His word tells me, in me both to will and to do for His good pleasure.  Praying by faith for each of us today that our God would count us worthy of this calling and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with His power.

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.—Ephesians 3:20-21

******

Addendum...in writing this God brought me to James 1:5-8.  Faith is enjoined here in these verses. Faith is a heart stabilizer.  

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.

For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;

he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.—James 1:5-8

I really liked how Spurgeon described prayer here...hoping it blesses you today as it did me. 

iii. “Do you believe that God can give you wisdom, and that he will do so if you ask him? Then, go at once to him, and say, ‘Lord, this is what I need.’ Specify your wants, state your exact condition, lay the whole case before God with as much orderliness as if you were telling your story to an intelligent friend who was willing to hear it, and prepared to help you; and then say, ‘Lord, this is specifically what I think I want; and I ask this of thee believing that thou canst give it to me.'” (Spurgeon)

But Without Faith It is Impossible to Please Him....

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.—Hebrews 11:6

I have thought about this verse A LOT over the years. Without BELIEF in God it is impossible to please Him.  Unbelief condemns us to hell.  Belief conveys us into His kingdom of light. 

"Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."

The just shall LIVE, the Bible tells us, by faith.  God desires our lives here on earth to be a moment by moment faith walk. 

This was NOT me this morning looking for my 8lb poodle Wolf’s toy...losing something is always a bit traumatic for me.  I have lost a lot in my 60 years of living and like most people I HATE IT!  Anyway, I looked in every nook and cranny...I didn’t find his toy but I found a lot of corners that never get vacuumed.  Prior to salvation, one of the ways I would try to exercise control over my life was by cleaning.  I live in a house that is close to 150 years old and not really conducive to thorough cleanings.  My heart started to panic...not over the lost toy...but over the many losses I have sustained even over just the last 10 years.  Losses that I am still grieving.   I fought the urge to get out my Dyson.  Instead, I prayed.  I placed my faith once again in the One Who does all things well and holds all things together...the One Who is on my side and loves me with an everlasting love.  

TRUTH:  I have no control over the house...no less over time passing, illness, cancer, broken relationships, and the myriad of losses that this world can hold for each of us.  But I know and serve the One who does.  

Trusting is a hard and an ever present DAILY challenge for me, but without faith it is impossible to please Him.  Without Him I can do nothing good.  Now the just shall LIVE by faith. 

So did I find Wolf’s beloved little red kong?  Yes, and lots of dust and an opportunity for faith instead of fear. God is good!

But I Give Myself to Prayer...

In return for my love they are my accusers, But I give myself to prayer. Thus they have rewarded me evil for good, And hatred for my love.—Psalm 109:4-5

They hated him without a cause....they returned evil for his love.  Where gratitude was expected, hate reigned in its stead.  How do you combat slander?  What do you do when you are encompassed by hatred....by people who return evil for your good?  You do what David did...he gave himself to prayer.  Spurgeon says that as they became malice, he became prayer.  I like that picture.  Psalm 55:16-17 says this:

As for me, I will call upon God,

And the LORD shall save me.

Evening and morning and at noon

I will pray, and cry aloud,

And He shall hear my voice.

Reading through David’s desires for the enemies of God was a little hard for me.  Each of us, if we have lived long enough, know that their are people out there who are not for us.  But as believers it is not us they are not for...it is God.    David’s pronouncements of judgment on those who did this evil are NOT sugar-coated.  Matthew Henry says that these imprecations are not from the spirit of passion but from the spirit of prophecy.  David’s desire for the enemies of God was biblical...he is angry not on behalf of himself but on behalf of the oppressed and helpless.  Our God is a God of justice.  The wicked will be judged.  God judgment may tarry to accomplish His purposes, but it will come.  Vengeance is mine our God says, “I will repay.”  Jesus faced similar circumstances. 

“Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?”—John 10:32

Jesus prayer from the Cross at Calvary was this:

Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." And they divided His garments and cast lots.—Luke 23:34

For himself David prayed that God would be his help in his distress. He, like Jesus committed his soul to his Father for safe keeping. 

But You, O GOD the Lord,

Deal with me for Your name's sake;

Because Your mercy is good, deliver me.

For I am poor and needy,

And my heart is wounded within me.—Ps 109:21-22

 Help me, O LORD my God!

Oh, save me according to Your mercy,

That they may know that this is Your hand--

That You, LORD, have done it!—Ps 109:26-27

who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;—1 Peter 2:23 

I have set the LORD always before me;

Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.

Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;

My flesh also will rest in hope.

For You will not leave my soul in Sheol,

Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.

You will show me the path of life;

In Your presence is fullness of joy;

At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.—Psalm 16:8-11

Cast your burden on the LORD,

And He shall sustain you;

He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.—Ps 55:22

I Raise a Hallelujah

O God, my heart is steadfast;

I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.—Ps 108:1

Give us help from trouble,

For the help of man is useless.

Through God we will do valiantly,

For it is He who shall tread down our enemies.—Ps 108:13-14

What a wonderful Psalm to remember when our heart is filled with fear and the battle we are facing seems very much against us.  My mind is settled and my heart is fixed!  My God’s  grace to me has overcome the cares that have shaken my foundation. My heart is resolute!  His banner over me is love. Perfect love castes out fear.  

Through God I will draw my courage, my wisdom and my power.  God is my  secret weapon especially when I am afraid.  He, who is on my side, fights for me. He will tread down my enemies and make them fall before me. The help of man is vain.  Through Him I will do valiantly.  

I am reminded of this song...

I raise a hallelujah, in the presence of my enemies

I raise a hallelujah, louder than the unbelief

I raise a hallelujah, my weapon is a melody

I raise a hallelujah, heaven comes to fight for me

I'm gonna sing, in the middle of the storm

Louder and louder, you're gonna hear my praises roar

Up from the ashes, hope will arise

Death is defeated, the King is alive!

I raise a hallelujah, with everything inside of me

I raise a hallelujah, I will watch the darkness flee

I raise a hallelujah, in the middle of the mystery

I raise a hallelujah, fear you lost your hold on me!

I'm gonna sing, in the middle of the storm

Louder and louder, you're gonna hear my praises roar

Up from the ashes, hope will arise

Death is defeated, the King is alive!

Sing a little louder (In the presence of my enemies)

Sing a little louder (Louder than the unbelief)

Sing a little louder (My weapon is a melody)

Sing a little louder (Heaven comes to fight for me)

Sing a little louder (In the presence of my enemies)

Sing a little louder (Louder than the unbelief)

Sing a little louder (My weapon is a melody)

Sing a little louder (Heaven comes to fight for me)

Sing a little louder!

I'm gonna sing, in the middle of the storm

Louder and louder, you're gonna hear my praises roar

Up from the ashes, hope will arise

Death is defeated, the King is alive!

Source: Lyricfind

Songwriters: Jonathan David Helser / Melissa Helser / Molly Skaggs / Jake Stevens

Raise a Hallelujah lyrics © Bethel Music Publishing

Desiring What is Good....

Proverbs 27:7

A satisfied soul loathes the honeycomb,

But to a hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.

There are probably several ways this proverb could be interpreted and still make sense and be helpful.  When I read it last night, it made me think of Isaiah 55:2-3

Why do you spend money for what is not bread,

And your wages for what does not satisfy?

Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,

And let your soul delight itself in abundance.

Delight yourself in the Lord and  He will give you the desires of your heart. Open your mouth wide and He will fill it.  Be hungry for the right things.  Fill your mind and heart with the word of God and your appetite will be ruined for the things of the world. 

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.  And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.—Colossians 3:16-17

Being Thankful...

 have sinned like our fathers, We have committed iniquity, we have behaved wickedly. —Psalm 106:6

Each of us can identify, I think, with the sins of the Israelites.  As for me, I say with David:

Do not withhold Your tender mercies from me, O LORD;

Let Your lovingkindness and Your truth continually preserve me.

For innumerable evils have surrounded me;

My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up;

They are more than the hairs of my head;—Psalm 40:11-12

We are guilty like they were of forgetting...

They did not remember the multitude of Your mercies,

But rebelled by the sea--the Red Sea.—Ps 106:7b

I, like God’s chosen, do not remember the multitude of His mercies, I forget His kindnesses and His endless gifts of grace.  I esteem them lightly and forget to be thankful. And therein for me lies the antidote for “forgetting”.  Thankfulness.   I have in the past made a practice of “putting it on” but I have of late sadly fallen out of practice.  I am thankful for friends who come alongside and speak back to me my own words and encourage me to count His graces.  

It is such a grace to count graces...to purpose in my heart to be thankful...to give thanks in everything; and remember that being thankful in everything and for everything is the will of God in Christ Jesus for ME!  There is so much in my life that crowds out the simple act of thanksgiving from my purview.   Here is what helps me to place it front and center.  I use an alliteration to help. 🙃

“Purpose and Practice”

First, I have to purpose “to see” His graces and then again “to practice” being thankful for them. I began purposing and practicing about 10 years ago by bringing my camera with me everywhere.  It helped me focus and frame (another alliteration) my thinking toward thanksgiving.  As a bonus God blessed me with pictures that have helped me recall his kindnesses to me over the years and also by the people close to me catching the same spirit of thanksgiving.  Today I will again purpose by His Spirit who lives in me to see His manifold kindnesses to me and remember to practice and offer a sacrifice to my God of praise and thanksgiving for each of them.  I encourage you to do the same.  Looking at yourself will cause you to sink and lose perspective...instead look to Him and remember grace.  

And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.—John 1:16

Praise the LORD!

Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!

For His mercy endures forever.

Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD?

Who can declare all His praise?—Psalm 106:1-2

Jesus Prays for ME!

But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood.

Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.—Hebrews 7:24-25

Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness," says the Lord GOD.—Ezekiel 14:14

Today’s readings put intercessory prayer on my mind.  It made me think for a bit of what a comfort it is to my heart when I hear someone praying for me...or when I know they are praying for me.   I totally forget that my Jesus LIVES to make intercession for me!!   Noah, Daniel and Job (Gen 6:18, Job 42:7-10, Dan 1-2). all displayed the power of intercession on behalf of others.  Jeremiah mentions Moses and Samuel who were also known for their power in intercessory prayer.  (Jer 7:16; 15:1-4).  God says here that even these righteous men praying earnestly would not be able to deliver anyone but themselves.  That is a very sad statement on the spiritual condition of Jerusalem.  The presence and prayers of the godly could not stop the coming judgment. God in Jeremiah 7:16 even tells Jeremiah NOT to pray for them.  

BUT God gave us Jesus and He, the Bible tells us, has an unchangeable priesthood.  He is able to save to the uttermost (save forever) those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for us.  In Jesus there is complete security of salvation.  We have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous. 

How COMFORTING AND ENCOURAGING that is for us to remember when we are being assaulted by our flesh and by the world.  What an encouragement this would be to a heart that is ready to give in or give up to remember that Jesus Himself prays for them. Jesus is for me.  He is on my side.  

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.....Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.—Romans 8:1a; 8:33-34

Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.  Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.—Hebrews 4:14-16

My Own Cloud of Witnesses - Hebrews 6:9-20

But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner. For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, "Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you." And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute. Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.

This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.—Hebrews 6:9-20

I could read Hebrews 6:9-20 over and over...God is faithful and His promises are sure!  Hebrews 6 tells us He is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name in that you have ministered and do minister to his saints.  He is the “God Who Sees”...the God who remembers, the God who puts our tears in His bottle, and the God who is for us.  He encourages us here in Hebrews to continue and not to become sluggish but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.  

God has blessed my family and I with a continual cloud of witnesses in our lives to imitate.  We have done weekly nursing home bible studies since 1995 at 4 different nursing homes. The past 7 or more years have been spent at one where many who attend are over 90 and have been walking with the Lord for 70 plus years.  Their hope is their strong consolation. Jesus IS the anchor of their soul. Two such saints come to mind...Guill and Nessie.  They are easy to love.  Guill is 95 and Nessie is 97.  They faithfully come each week.  Guill brings my daughter Anna bread each week from Panera’s.  He never ever misses an opportunity to bless.  He readies the room for us and fills in for Bill and teaches when we can’t get there.  

When my own spirit is flagging my heart remembers not just Guill and Nessie but other saints that we have loved at different nursing homes who have also exampled for us perseverance and endurance...Louise, Jenny, Bob, Sandy, Ruth, Marie, Lois and many more.  Most of whom now are in heaven rejoicing with God their Savior. I miss them, but their love for God, for me and for my family has left its mark and its example on our hearts.   As the saying goes, “When I count my blessings, I count them twice.”

Entering His Rest...

There remains therefore a rest for the people of God:—Hebrews 4:9

Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.—Hebrews 4:11

The scripture that precede verse 11 make it clear that there is a rest for the people of God.  I want to spend a lot of time here.  I want to really “get” what this chapter is saying.  Or better, I want to really understand what a God is saying to me here.  We who believe DO enter His rest. (Vs3)  As believers we will enter our eternal rest in heaven when our life here on earth comes to an end.  But what about while we are here?   Is there a rest here for us in this vale of tears?   The Bible says yes and it tells here that we enter His rest in this life by ceasing from our works and relying on God...By “diligently” believing...by appropriating the promises in His word into our hearts by faith.  Quite simply, we enter His rest TODAY by moment by moment trusting God to be faithful and true to His word to us.  I am not good yet at being “diligent” to appropriate His promises by faith as I face the trials and troubles that are part and parcel with life in this fallen world.  It takes practice to do this.  I wrote this in the margin of my Bible next to verse 11 many years ago.  It stopped me this morning and made me think.  

“Effortfully put aside self-reliance - this takes absolute surrender!”  

THAT is why I am not good at trusting God.  I am not good at it because it takes absolute surrender.  I hear those words “absolute surrender” and I soooo want them to be mine.  I want them to describe my walk.  That is a good thing to want.  God hears my heart and since it is He who works in me both to will and to do for His good pleasure it is His job to get me there.  My job is effortfully put aside my self reliance and to trust God and His promises to me as a believer.  When the people asked Jesus in John 6 "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."  Praying I can be diligent to enter that rest by believing God.  David Guzik says this about verse 11:

“The rest is there, but God does not force it upon us. We must enter that rest. Clearly, the rest is entered by faith; but it takes diligent faith. This shows us that faith is not passive; it takes diligence to trust in, rely on, and cling to Jesus and His work for us.”

Continuing on in Chapter 4 of Hebrews, verses 11 and 12 say this:

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

Now I read these words as both an admonition and a warning.  As an admonition they tell me that spending time in His word will reveal to me my heart.  God meets me here and His Spirit speaks truth over my weaknesses and into my life.   His word is living powerful and when I receive it with meekness His Spirit uses it to work Gods desires in my heart and in my life.  As a warning it tells me that God sees all.  He sees my heart...nothing is hidden from Him.  He shows me where I am believing and exposes where I am rebelling.   

The next verses speak to Jesus, our Great High Priest, who was tempted in all points as we are and yet was without sin.  He understands all of what we go through here on earth.  He sympathizes with our weaknesses and exhorts us to come boldly to Him to obtain mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.  We go to Him who died to save us and who lives to intercede for us before our Father in heaven. His mercy covers the things we should not have done and His grace empowers us to do what we should and want to do but don’t have the power to do.  You can’t ask for more than that.  

And He said, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."—Exodus 33:14

He makes me to lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul;

He leads me in the paths of righteousness

For His name's sake.—Psalm 23:2-3

Bless the LORD, O my soul!

Praise the LORD!—Ps 104:35

Holding Fast Our Hope Til the End

but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.—Hebrews 3:6

Ephesians 2:22 tells us that we (family of believers) are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.  1 Peter 2 says we come to Him as living stones rejected by men but chosen by God and precious. Hebrews here in Chapter 3 verse 6 reminds us to persevere in our faithfulness...to hold fast our confidence and the rejoicing of our hope steadfast and firm to the end.  This is NOT saying that our perseverance secures our salvation.  Rather, God is telling us that the ultimate proof of our salvation is that we endure to the end.  1 John 2:19 says:

They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.

The person who does not hold fast, whose love grows cold so to speak and returns to the world, gives proof that they were never part of the household of God in the first place.  The one who abides, however, gives proof that he is His. 

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.—John 8:31

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.  “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.  “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.—John 15:4-6

Scripture promises that God is the One who sanctifies, preserves and keeps us...He is the One who does the persevering and completes the good work He began in us.  

For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.—2 Cor 1:20

Can we imagine God the Father ever saying “no” to God the Son? God the Father will always say Yes to the Son and will always affirm what the Son says.  

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,

And to present you faultless

Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,

To God our Savior,

Who alone is wise,

Be glory and majesty,

Dominion and power,

Both now and forever.

Amen.—Jude 24-25