Category: Devotions

You Need a Counselor with a Capital “C”

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Do you feel like you need a counselor? Is your heart heavy or confused? Can you picture yourself sitting in a comfortable chair as you attempt to respond to the suggestion, “Tell me all about yourself”?

How could you ever fully explain yourself to someone else? Even if we had an infinite amount of time to reveal what we know of our experiences from birth to present, we could not disclose everything about ourselves; for we do not know! Our memories are not comprehensive or perfect. Our understanding of the effects of life’s experiences on us is severely limited. We cannot possibly tie together the vast intricacies of our emotions, and the motivations of our hearts remain largely a mystery to our frail minds.

Jeremiah 17:9 (ESV) instructs us, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” Not only can no other human being – no matter how compassionate or educated – comprehend us, but we cannot understand ourselves. Our tainted hearts deceive us, as they are sick from sin. We need Someone greater to figure us out.

That is exactly where the famous Christmas verse comes into play. “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; . . . and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor” (Isaiah 9:6, ESV). In the original Hebrew language, the word “wonderful” means “a wonder, a marvel, an extraordinary thing.” Jesus is the only Counselor who is more than ordinary – greater than human frailty and limitations. He is God the Counselor.

God the Counselor knows everything! Picture the human heart with all its cracks and fissures. Think of all the aspects of your being that you cannot fathom. Envision the hurts and confusion. Now picture God the Counselor knowing every part of your heart – pouring His love into every crevice and filling it with His healing salve.

When Jesus prepared to leave this earth, He said the Father would send us a Helper to be with us forever – the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-17). The Holy Spirit is fully God, the third Person of the triune Godhead. He is our Helper – or Counselor. You do not need to go to His office for help; He is with you now. When you sincerely pray, He will intercede for you, since you cannot possibly know how exactly to pray for every circumstance (Romans 8:26-27). He is your Advocate, bringing you closer to God and into His will. He is your Counselor, healing you in ways you cannot see. He drives everything about our personality into alignment with God’s will as we believe and ask Him to. In ways unknown and quite mysterious to us, the Holy Spirit is doing the repair work necessary for our well-being, our wholeness.

Ephesians 3:16-19 assures us that God’s love – through the Holy Spirit – descends deeper into our heart than human comprehension. While we calculate volume in our three-dimensional space as length times width times height, God tells us His love goes to a fourth dimension – a depth beyond our grasp. His healing goes infinitely far beyond the help of any human, to exactly the level we need.

Your proper understanding of our Wonderful Counselor is vital in order for you to act on the promise. Equipped with this truth about our Counselor, meet with Him now – wherever you are. Ask Him to fill in every crack and crevice of your heart . . . and to make you part of God’s unbroken, perfect will.

Unlike any human counselor who can only make suggestions based on severely limited comprehension, God gives commands. He can rightfully tell us exactly what to do, for His knowledge of us and our circumstances is perfect. Rejoice in His Word, the Bible, because its instructions are for your healing. It is the Word of the Counselor, with a capital “C.”

Your Christmas Is Too Small

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Your Christmas is too small. And by that, I do not mean your tree is too short, you don’t have enough lights outside, or your gifts are not expensive. Your Christmas is too small if it leaves Jesus in the manger, or on the Cross, – or even rising from the tomb and ascending to Heaven.

If your “Silent Night” does not give way to “Resounding Day,” then your Christmas is too small. No amount of presents, perfectly placed wreaths, wonderfully decorated cookies, delightful parties, or time-tested traditions can erase the ultimate letdown you will feel when your Christmas is too small and your “Silent Night” does not point you to the greater “Resounding Day.”

See Christmas through to its infinitely, far-reaching end. Let the star of Bethlehem over the tiny manger remind you of how stars, moon, and sun will be eclipsed one day by the light of Christ’s all-consuming glory. He who lay under a star in the prickly hay of a feeding trough will soon outshine every heavenly body He has made! (Revelation 21:23)

Let the fact that He could find no place in the inn at birth (Luke 2:7), and that He had no place to lay his head in life (Luke 9:38), remind you that He is returning to this universe to take over all places. . . . And prepare them perfectly for you! (Romans 8:21, Revelation 21:1-4, John 14:2-3)

Precisely because Jesus walked this broken earth, we can walk the restored earth soon. He came to the real world in order to bring real hope for a new, real world. Though the best of Christmas seasons come and go in this life, we will enter an eternal season of unending joy and activity – never to be bothered again by the stinging pain of sin as it currently invades every facet of living.

Your Christmas is too small unless you connect the message of the angel Gabriel two millennia ago to the future message of the nameless, seventh angel and many loud voices:

    FIRST CHRISTMAS: “And [Gabriel] said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus'” (Luke 1:30-31, ESV).
    FINAL, ETERNAL ADVENT: “Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever'” (Revelation 11:15, ESV).

When Christmas seems too small, remember a line from the third stanza of “Silent Night”: “Radiant beams from thy holy face with the dawn of redeeming grace . . .” Christmas is only the beginning – the dawn of the new Day.

Silent night of long ago will give way to the resounding day of yet-to-come when the humble Jesus of the manger re-enters the world as the mighty Christ of the universe. The story goes from obscure birth without fanfare to angelic trumpets and loud voices proclaiming the inversion of a godless world into the glorious kingdom of God. He who served us with His birth and death will finally rule us with His life!

47th Greatest Invention . . .

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Though the printing press was deemed the number one innovation since the invention of the wheel by The Atlantic magazine’s group of scientists, historians, and technologists; it was number 47 on the list that caught my eye. Don’t get me wrong, we as Christians understand God’s hand in the development of the printing press, for God chose to reveal Himself through a book! However, check out the succinct description of the 47th greatest breakthrough since the wheel according to The Atlantic: “The nail, second millennium B.C. ‘Extended lives by enabling people to have shelter.’ -Leslie Berlin”

Wow. The nail enabled people to have shelter. Though Leslie Berlin was probably thinking of the physical shelter nails help to provide when they are pounded into wood and concrete, my mind went immediately to the spiritual shelter we find because of the three nails used by Roman soldiers two thousand years ago. And actually, those three nails were in the “hands” of God the Father, who willingly sacrificed His Son so you and I might find shelter from the justly deserved wrath of a Holy God. The ultimate effect of my own sin cannot rain down upon me, because I am under the shelter of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on that old, rugged Cross.

The Atlantic says that nails “extended lives by enabling people to have shelter.” Again – no doubt – the extension refers to earthly years. Physical life could go on longer because our bodies were better protected from the elements, wild animals, and enemies. But we as children of God apprehend the measureless value of spiritual life. No matter the year or day of our physical demise, salvation ensures eternal life. As Peter so beautifully records, “You have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable” (I Peter 1:23, ESV). The nails that pierced the body of Jesus on Mount Calvary have brought to us an endlessly extended life!

Just as those nails of long ago punctured the physical body of Jesus, they will also help bring to our physical bodies the new and glorified existence we shall enjoy forever and ever. I Thessalonians 3:20b-21 (ESV) proclaims, “We await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body.” The crucifixion of Jesus – aided by nails – ensures our safety in an incalculable and everlasting sense.

A thank you to The Atlantic for reminding us of the importance of nails. We take much for granted. And the biggest thank you to our God who gave humans the capacity to invent the nail, which He knew would be used to crucify His own Son. No doubt, God was thinking of sheltering us when He created trees and inspired the invention of nails.

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.'” (Psalm 91:1-2, ESV)

Reference: Fallows, James. “The 50 Greatest Breakthroughs Since the Wheel.” The Atlantic. Nov 2013. 56-58.

Soul Fix for a New World

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“The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” (Genesis 2:7)

Don’t ever doubt that God will one day again breathe into your body the breath of life even after you have died! Though your physical body may be placed in the ground and return to dust, the SAME GOD who breathed life into you in the first place will do so AGAIN!

“Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.” (I Corinthians 15:51-53)

What’s the Prognosis?

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What’s the prognosis? A vital question indeed! If you are the person sitting in a doctor’s office or hospital having to make that inquiry, you realize what a big question it is. The prognosis of an illness or disease is the likely outcome – and the chances of recovery. It comes from two roots: pro – to project forward, and gnosis – a Greek word for knowledge. In essence, a medical practitioner does his best to look down the road and make a prediction as to what will happen in the long run as a result of an illness wearing on a human body. We differentiate prognosis from diagnosis, for a diagnosis only has to do with determining the nature of a disease – not its final outcome. The prognosis affects our future; it has to do with the resulting effects of an illness.

Did you realize that the Greek word prognosis is actually used exactly two times in the New Testament of the Bible? In neither case is it used of medical issues per se; however, it is used in an all-encompassing and amazingly healing manner! Believe it or not, prognosis is behind the word foreknowledge in the informative text of I Peter chapter one. The apostle Peter is writing to the first century Christians who have been dispersed throughout Asia Minor because of persecution. He reminds them that although they are exiles in this current world system, they have been chosen “according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.” (I Peter 1:3, NASB)

In other words, God the Father projected ahead of time our ultimate condition – chosen to belong to Him! The Creator of the universe actually picked us! He looked down through the annals of time and forecast our position despite our sinfulness. All who call upon Jesus as Savior have been given the greatest prognosis – eternal life! Now, let’s understand how this can possibly be. The answer is the result of an even more spectacular prognosis – one we cannot fully comprehend with our finite minds, but it is nonetheless true.

The only other time the Greek word prognosis appears in the Bible is in Acts chapter two. The apostle Peter is preaching, and he boldly proclaims, “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know – this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it” (Acts 2:22-24, ESV, emphasis mine). There it is again, a term delivering true hope. Jesus was not crucified because the devil had the upper hand and was winning some kind of evil victory; Jesus was crucified according to the prognosis of God! Not for one minute was Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion out of God’s control. The Father knew exactly what He was doing in allowing and orchestrating these unimaginable events. The Father gave His Son a prognosis of death so that we might have a prognosis of eternal life! Wow!

The only two times we see prognosis in the Bible is when it comes to the Father planning the crucifixion of His Son and when it comes to the Father planning to give us life through His Son. I Peter 1:3-4 goes on to say that we have been “born again into a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” and into an inheritance that never fades away.

The Perfect Doctor, the Great Physician, has clearly stated His prognosis for you and me. No matter what earthly disease you face, no matter what trouble of the heart you endure, no matter how bleak your financial or social situation; the Doctor of your heart and body never gets it wrong. He has declared that you have eternal life because His Son endured temporary death. The hope of a heart without guilt and an eventual body without pain is ours.

What is the outcome of this disease called sin? It would be death. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23, ESV). The prognosis for you and me is potentially eternal death. However, God gave Jesus the prognosis we deserved. Now our future is eternal life – lasting and complete healing for all that ails the soul and body. “But the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23, ESV). Thank you, Father, for the prognosis. Thank you, Jesus, for carrying out the plan. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for telling us.

Forget the Eye Chart

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My mom sat in a chair surrounded by expensive equipment, waiting for the ophthalmologist to examine her dilated eyes. In coming to the eye doctor this day, my mom was being proactive with symptoms that might indicate a tear in her retina – a rather critical problem. She had read the eye chart already and gone through the preliminaries of the appointment before the dilation. As we now sat waiting for the examination of her retinas, my mom joked, “I won’t be able to read anything the doctor wants me to see now! My eyes are so blurry!” I responded quickly, “Well, that’s how you know things are serious. . . the doctor doesn’t care anymore about what you can look at; he now cares about what he can see in you!” As soon as I completed my comment, it hit me. This is a direct analogy for the work of God in our deluded hearts.

We may think we can assess the nature of our true condition by “looking at the eye chart of our life.” However, we are unable to stare at some standard and rightly discern our heart’s motives and actions. Sin has affected us more gravely than we realize. This is not an issue of a simple eye exam to prescribe the right glasses’ strength. This is a crucial probing into the back of the eye – into the inner workings of the retina. God must peer deeply into the heart and expose what we cannot grasp because of the blurriness sin and self-righteousness have caused.

The Bible is clear about our dilemma in Jeremiah 17:9-10 (ESV), “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of His deeds.” God is telling us that we are incapable of examining ourselves because the heart or “eye” with which we probe is sick to begin with! We need the Doctor to examine us from the outside in – to explore the depth of us for who we really are.

And so my mom’s blurry eyes were examined by the ophthalmologist with all his powerful equipment. The report came back “good.” In the case of my soul, God has investigated and found many problems that my heart could not see. I am thankful! I need the Doctor of my soul! For, when He found the issues, I was able to cry out with Jeremiah, “Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved” (Jeremiah 17:14, ESV).

God Almighty – the Doctor of my heart – has looked in, explained the sin problem and healed me with the blood of His Son, Jesus. Keep probing, God! I need You, not the eye chart.

Comparing Your Life to Someone Else’s Life: The Problem and the Answer

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“Lord, what about him? Why is his life easier than mine?” or “Lord, what about her? Why is she so healthy while I suffer?” or “Lord, what about him? Why does he live in a big house with lots of things and I don’t” or “Lord, what about her? Why is her family so functional and mine dysfunctional?” or “Lord, what about him? Why is he so successful in his pursuits while I seem to fail at so many?”

Comparisons. Questions about why things are different for other Christians. We all tend to measure our circumstances against those of other people. However, this aspect of fallen human nature can lead to all sorts of problems. We waste our time contemplating and comparing, and we cease following Jesus as He intends. We are too busy looking side to side rather than to our God in front of us.

Jesus counseled Peter in comparing and contrasting. Immediately following Peter’s restoration as beautifully outlined in John 21:15-17, we find our Lord preparing Peter for a great sacrifice. Jesus was reassuring his dear friend of forgiveness for the denial of a lifetime. Remember when Peter swore after the arrest of Jesus, “I do not know the man”? Recall that three times poor Peter denied His Savior. (Matthew 26:69-75) What a deep peace must have descended upon this disciple as Jesus now commissioned him three times to serve God. What a flood of hope must have swept over Peter as he walked again with His Savior. Yet, in the midst of the rejoicing, Truth called Peter to understand a difficult part of the future.

Jesus looks at His precious disciple and says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (John 21:18, ESV) The Bible makes clear in the next verse what Jesus meant by these words: “(This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this [Jesus] said to him, ‘Follow me.'” (John 21:19, ESV)

Our Lord here tells Peter that he will be crucified for Jesus’ sake. He allows Peter to see that he will be a martyr for the Kingdom of God. And yet, this tough information was followed by Jesus’ command to “Follow me.” Christ did not tell Peter of the unbelievable task he would face in order to discourage him. Jesus did not reveal this part of the future and then say, “Give up” or “Turn back, Peter, because it will be too much for you.” No! Christ says, “Follow me!” In other words, Jesus knows that Peter will make it. Although crucifixion seems too much, our Lord knows the Source of His child’s strength. Perhaps Jesus here had in mind the words of Hebrews 12:2 (NIV, 1984), “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” You see, Jesus set our salvation before His eyes as He accomplished the unfathomable task of deity dying for sin. He looked to us as His motivation. Now, we look to Him as our motivation and strength.

Next, we encounter the great comparison. After hearing this news of his own martyrdom, Peter “turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved [John] following them . . . When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, what about this man?'” (John 21:20-21, ESV) I chuckle as I read these words because I can hear myself. “Jesus, what about her? What about him? Why is my life more difficult or my way not as prosperous?” Can you hear yourself too? Oh, how blatantly human were the disciples of Christ! Peter has just had an intimate and healing encounter with Jesus and then heard of his high – but challenging – calling. No sooner did Peter turn around than he was comparing his lot to that of John! “Lord, what about him? Is he going to have to be crucified?”

Now, Jesus is the God of Truth – not psychological babble. He deals with the human tendency of comparison in a very direct way. He pointedly says to Peter, “If it is my will that he [John] remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” (John 21:22, ESV) Wow! “What is that to you?” This rhetorical question of our Savior rings in my ears and resonates in my heart. I have heard Jesus speak it to me a thousand times since studying this passage of Scripture. If someone else’s way seems easier, what is that to you? If some other Christian’s life seems to make more sense, what is that to you? If someone else seems more successful, what is that to you? If someone else is healthier or more materially prosperous, what is that to you? If someone else seems to be more blessed than you according to your understanding of things, what is that to you?

In other words, we should not compare. On this, Jesus is abundantly clear. In essence, Jesus says, “Peter, don’t look at John’s way. Look at ME!” In following Jesus and not the lives of others, we find our peace and our fulfillment. In living out Hebrews 12:2 (cited above), we find our true joy.

In fact, Peter died a martyr’s death, having been crucified under the reign of emperor Nero. John, however, was the one disciple to die of natural causes after having been exiled to the Isle of Patmos and writing the book of Revelation. Nonetheless, despite the difference in their lives’ ends, both Peter and John had God’s joy and God’s reward. We hear the words of Peter as he writes to the people of God being persecuted in Asia Minor, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, . . .” (I Peter 1:3, NIV, 1984).

No doubt, we will talk with Peter and John in Heaven, and both will say what a marvelous thing is salvation! Both will recount the faithfulness and love of God. Both will testify to the goodness of God, though their lives were very divergent.

Do not look to the circumstances and lives of others. Do not look to the left at one person or to the right at another. Look straight ahead – at Jesus. And hear Him say of any potential comparison, “What is that to you? You follow me!”

The Swaying Roller Coaster’s Lesson In Trust

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Click, click, click, click, click. I stood in line for the roller coaster, hearing the steady beat of the large, oily chain that pulls the carts up the first hill of the track. As one cart slowly carried its excited riders to the apex, another cart zoomed around the sharp turns. As people flew down hills and around curves, I heard screams of thrill. I also carefully observed the vibrating beams and swaying poles of the ride. Of course, a coaster of such motions and speed must be designed to have “give.” The entire structure must be resilient – allowing for all the wild dynamics of the roller coaster experience.

As I waited beside the coaster for my own adventure – watching all these movements – I began to think of the extensive planning and calculation required to build such an edifice. No doubt, engineers work with necessary precision, being careful to employ the timeless truths of mathematics and physics. In fact, a visit to a website, library.thinkquest.org, highlighted what I had been pondering:

    Complicated engineering goes into construction of a modern roller coaster. A single coaster may cause its engineers and designers to produce thousands of layouts, plans and blueprints. Then, scale models are built from materials such as wood and Styrofoam. Designers must check and re-check the forces that are exerted on the cars, tracks, and most importantly, the passengers.

What amazes me about the whole concept of roller coasters is our willingness to ride them. Despite the screams of the people, the shaking of the beams, the swaying of the cables, the velocity of the carts, the steepness of the hills, the fallibility of human operators, the decay of metal and wood, or the room for human error in design and maintenance; we still wait in line for the thrill of the coaster! (Well, at least many of us do!)

For years and years we have trusted the mechanics of these monstrous structures. We place our well-being and our lives on the line each time we ride. We trust the designers and maintainers of the coasters. We believe they know what they are doing and do it well.

How much more should we trust the One who designed and maintains the world! Yes, there are times I step back and observe the swaying beams of life. I watch important parts of my world seem to shake. Oh, but these things are only part of the “give” God has built in for a universe tainted by sinfulness. The swaying is proof that He built our lives to last; God can handle our travels through the complicated “ups and downs” and “twists and turns” of life.

Do you hear the “click, click, click” of the old and oily chain about to pull you up a steep hill? Is the wind blowing through your hair as you descend at a speed that makes your stomach tingle? Do the sharp turns give the sensation you might careen off the track? It’s okay. Our sovereign God is the Ultimate Mind. He knows exactly how to build everything – and just as perfectly manage it. The world He created and your life that He so carefully designed have always been in His able hands.

We trust human ingenuity and mortal constancy every time we ride a roller coaster, automobile, or even an elevator. How much more should we trust divine design and God’s faithfulness as we ride through life?

Thus says God, the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it: “I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness: I will take you by the hand and keep you . . .” (Isaiah 42:5-6a, ESV)

For by him all things were created, . . . and in him all things hold together. (Colossians 1:16a-17b, ESV)

Mark of Distinction

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No room for bragging exists when it comes to people of God. There is no place for self-righteousness and no room for human credit when it comes to genuine Christianity. Nothing marks a follower of God as distinct from anyone else except for one thing: God is with him.

Our clever actions, seemingly selfless sacrifices, moral position relative to others, or regular church attendance do not truly separate us from the masses of people. One thing makes a Christian unique – and one thing only – God is with us.

Let no Christian be deceived into thinking that she is special because of her own performance. Let no man of God rest in his own talents, personality, or possessions. We have only one hope for being set apart from all others, and that hope does not originate with us. We are only and marvelously distinct because God is going with us wherever we go. Hear the words of Moses as he prays on behalf of the Israelites he is leading, “For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?” (Exodus 33:16, ESV)

God’s people were not chosen because they were particularly great or better than others; they were chosen and, therefore, made great. It is God’s abiding with a man or woman that makes that person a work of wonder. What we need is God with us. We desperately require His presence at every turn and in every moment. If He is with us, for us there shall be no demise. He conquers all.

No wonder the Gospel of Matthew proclaims of Jesus, “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us).” (Matthew 1:23, ESV) Jesus is the grand fulfillment of God’s plan to be with His people. Because of Jesus Christ, we both see God in the flesh and are able to be reconciled to God. That reconciliation provides the means for God to take up residence in my body, His temple (I Corinthians 3:16, 6:19). Because of dear Jesus, I am assured that God is always with me, for my sins have been covered with the blood of Christ; and they are no longer able to separate me from my Creator.

“Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct?” asked Moses. The resounding answer is, “Yes!” We are marked for hope and eternal life – made different from the world – because God has willingly chosen to be with us. It is not our doing; it is His doing . . . and it is wonderful beyond words.

Question for Reflection: What stands out to people about you? Is it some quality of yours? Or do people remark that you are special because they sense God’s nearness when they are near you?

Grace Greater Than Karma: Understanding How God Works With Defective People

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We gathered together Friday evening to hear the Good News – God’s grace is greater than karma or any cycle of sin. In Jesus, we are set free! “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.” – Romans 8:1-2 (ESV)

Don’t Shrink Back

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“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. For in just a very little while, ‘He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.’ But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.” – Hebrews 10:35-39 (NIV, 1984)

“Do not throw away your confidence,” “You have need of endurance,” and “We are not of those who shrink back.” These three phrases packed into a small passage of five verses remind us of a need to persevere. God here brings to our immediate attention the fact that utter discouragement is a very real possibility. Our defense against this weariness is to look forward to the coming future that is completely ensured by our God. Rather than a magical formula or a work of sheer human effort, God’s Word provides the Truth on which to stand. Though currently unknown and presently not experienced by us, we will receive the ultimate promise if we hold on.

“Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay.” Though we wait for the Lord’s return and the justice He will bring, He is actually coming without delay. His timing is impeccable, and He does all things right. Though it feels long to us humans, the time until His return is short – just a little while. With that in mind, be warned by the next phrase of God’s Word.

“But my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” Shrinking back is an action of fear. I shrink back from big spiders and powerful thunderstorms and scary noises in the night when my husband is travelling. However, shrinking back from my faith in Jesus Christ is unacceptable. He is one hundred percent reliable. Furthermore, my shrinking back from faith in Jesus causes God Almighty to have no pleasure in me. Now, none of us likes for any particular person to avoid us because he or she finds no joy in relating to us. But multiply that feeling by infinity to apprehend what it would be like to know that God finds no pleasure in you. The one Person I want to rejoice in my existence is my Maker, Provider, and King. If He does not rejoice over me, I am doomed.

This is precisely why the distinct and direct connection is made between shrinking back and being destroyed. “But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed.” If I walk away from my confidence in Jesus, I walk directly to my doom. True faith is equated with my preservation. Therefore, despite hardship, I will endure. Come what may, I desire to do God’s will now in order to receive what He has promised. In just a short while, I will see Him . . . If I don’t shrink back.