Take 1 minute to read the scripture Take 1 minute to read the thought Take 1 minute to think about them Take 1 minute to pray Take 1 minute to finish your coffee Hebrews
Week Day 1 Reading: Hebrews 1:1-3 - “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” (NIV) Thought: Hebrews is an incredible letter, but we don't know who the author was. It tells us of Jesus' superiority over angels, prophets, and Moses. It declares that His sacrifice was the fulfilment of the all sacrifices and that He is now our Great High Priest. It gives us a number of important warnings. It encourages us in the importance of faith. Hebrews begins by telling us that God no longer speaks to us as He once did. In the past, He used prophets that prophesied in many different manners. Some told parables, some acted out their prophesies, and some wrote poetry. The author of Hebrews declared that now God is speaking to us in Jesus. His life and words are the final and full message of God to humanity. If you need to hear from God, look to the life and words of Jesus. The Holy Spirit's ministry is to remind us what He has said. (John 14:26) Jesus is the heir of everything. He is the instrument of creation. He is the outshining of God's glory. He is the exact representation of God's being. Everything is sustained by his powerful word. What an incredible and glorious description of the Son! This powerful declaration goes on to say that Jesus provided purification for sins. Hebrews explains why His blood was necessary for our purification. Now, He is sitting in the place of power, at the helm of the universe, at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. Hebrews declares Jesus to be our wonderful Saviour, but it also declares His awesome superiority over all His creation. It encourages us to go to Him to access God, but to do so with reverent respect. Prayer: Lord Jesus help me to hear from you through the power of the Holy Spirit. May my life reflect your glory as You represent Father’s Glory. Amen. Day 2 Reading: Hebrews 2:9-11 - “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honour because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.” (NIV) Thought: Jesus humbled Himself to become a man, setting aside His glory, to be one of us. Because He took the punishment of sin in our place, tasting death for everyone, God crowned Him with glory and honour. That should reveal to us the great heart of God who was willing to give His only Son, but also that He honours those who sacrifice for the good of
others. Jesus sacrificed His life for the purpose of bringing many sons to glory. He left His glory so that He could bring you to glory. There is an unusual nautical illustration here in this passage. When a ship ran aground, the strongest, most capable swimmer was chosen to take a rope from the ship to the safety of the shore and secure it. The sailors could then cling to the rope and not be swept away by the current as they made their way to the safety of the shore. It is translated "author" here. You could also use the word "trailblazer". Jesus secured a line of safety for us to reach God. He is our perfect Saviour because He suffered all the things we suffer. He got in the boat with us and endured the storms of life with us. None of us could ever hope to make it to the safety of shore. Knowing that the boat of humanity had run aground and was about to be beaten to pieces, He joined our boat and suffered with us. He dove in and braved the currents and secured the rope to within the Holy of Holies in heaven. As we escape this storm we are brought right into the very presence of God, accepted in Christ, who became one of us. Prayer: Thank you Jesus for making a way for me to be saved, for being the author of my faith, and providing safety in my storms. Amen Day 3 Reading: Hebrews 2:14, 17-18 - “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death– that is, the devil– …For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” (NIV) Thought: It is important for us to understand that Jesus was all man. That does not change the fact that He was all God, but in every way He was made like us. He was one of us. He had flesh and blood. He had Mary's lineage. He was tempted. He had to endure just like we have to endure. When Adam lost the dominion of earth to the devil in the Garden, God promised the offspring of the woman would one day crush that devil's head, his authority. That offspring had to be flesh and blood to take back what flesh and blood gave up. He is the Second Adam in that He took back what the first Adam lost. The sin of the first Adam brought death to all. The Second Adam came and provided life to all, by destroying him who held the power of death. As a man enduring all the temptations and sufferings that we face, He can give the perfect counsel. He faced the same things and yet came through in sinless victory. Jesus became the merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, giving us God's direction and presenting our requests to God. As He intercedes, He can convey our feelings and difficulties in complete harmony with how we mean them, because He has been where we are. That is why He is the One that can help whatever your need is. He is the One that can perfectly understand your heart and present it to God with mercy and faithfulness. He made it possible through the atonement He provided in His flesh and body. Prayer: Thank you Lord that you understand exactly how I feel when I am tempted. Thank you for being the answer too! Day 4 Reading: Hebrews 4:11-13 - “Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to
whom we must give account.” (NIV) Thought: The author of Hebrews compared our spiritual journey to that of the Jews making their way to the Promised Land. He reminded the Hebrews that they were promised a place of rest, but many never made it. We, too, are promised a place of rest from our efforts to be made right with God. If we place our trust in Jesus' work in our place, we no longer strive to please God by keeping rules. It is a strange paradox that we make every effort to enter that rest. What is the effort against? Hebrews points to two things, unbelief (3:19) and disobedience to the voice of God (4:6). Our sinful nature leans toward unbelief and disobedience, and we must make every effort to keep from sliding in that direction. When we see the historical examples and examples in lives around us of the devastation of unbelief and disobedience, we should let it remind us that going in that direction is utterly destructive. Make every effort to stand firm in your faith and obey the voice of God today. Next, we’re told that the Word of God is a living and active thing. It is not just words from long ago. We share it with others, but as we do, it speaks to us. Those stories we read are God's voice to us today. It examines the thoughts and attitudes of our heart. Make every effort to hear and receive what is being said, mixing it with faith that results in action. The language of the last verse implies that we must look straight into the eyes of God as He examines the very depths of our soul. He sees it all. There is no fooling Him. All the more reason to listen to and obey what the Word of God is speaking to your heart today. Prayer: Lord help me to listen to and obey the Living Word. Day 5 Reading: Hebrews 4:14-16 - “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (NIV) Thought: Why should we endure in this faith that we profess? It's because Jesus has gone through the heavens and into the very presence of God to intercede for us. Having gained such a great victory for us, all we must do is endure. Cling to your faith. After all, this faith that we have is like no other. This faith declares a God that feels our suffering with us. Having endured every temptation we face, He can speak to our hearts the solution that He proved works. He can show us the way out of each and every temptation we face because He found the way Himself. After blazing that sinless trail for us, He gave us His righteousness while taking our sin to the death of the cross. It is with His righteousness that we can confidently approach the very throne of God. It is a throne of grace to us who have received His mercy through the blood of Christ. There, before the throne, we not only receive grace, that which we do not deserve, but also mercy, that which we do not deserve in the place of judgment that we do deserve. Asking for the gifts we need to endure and to be what we are called to be is asking for grace. Asking for continual cleansing for our shortcomings and for gifts in spite of the fact that we did not use them properly when last given is asking for mercy. We can confidently ask for both because of our Great High Priest. There is no need to wallow in condemnation. Prayer: Lord I come before you and ask that you continue to change me and equip me with the gifts for living that I need.
Day 6 Reading: Hebrews 10:25, 35-36 - “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching… 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.” (NIV) Thought: It is an epidemic in the church today. Stay at home Christians probably outnumber those that worship together. For many, it began when they were offended by something that happened in their church; an unkind word, a moral lapse, a service they did not enjoy. Instead of realizing that flesh had gained one small victory, they counted the war for encouraging fellowship lost. Instead of striving all the more to make that fellowship strong and safe, they retreat to the comfort and predictability of their home, "I can watch a TV preacher." It was a problem in the first century also, (minus the TV) because people are prone to sin. Fellowship isn't safe! Neither is God! God and the fellowship of believers will challenge you, test you, and change you. We need that to grow and mature. Instead of allowing the trials and tests to grow us, we often retreat so that our heart won't be hurt again. That is the way of stagnation. There is a fellowship of believers that needs you, and you need a fellowship of believers. The trials will strengthen and grow you. Don't throw away your confidence in what God can do in you and through your brothers and sisters in Christ. Stick it out! Pray it through. Be a part of the positive, encouraging transformation of ECC. God has promised to bless you for it. The author of these verses warned us that as we approach the Lord's return, it is all the more necessary to meet together for encouragement. So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. Prayer: Help me to be an encourager of those in my church. Day 7 Reading: Hebrews 12:1-3: - “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 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. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (NIV) Thought: The picture is of a great arena. The faithful who have died in Christ are occupying the stands. You and I are still here on the track running our race, staying in our lanes. Greek runners ran in the nude so as not to be hindered by their clothing; (don’t worry, we’re not about to go on a strange tangent here), but we seem to carry with us all manner of things that slow us down. We carry some of the things of our past life. We need to drop it all and run! Keep your eyes on our hero and role model, Jesus. Look at the amazing race He ran. If that doesn't inspire us to drop everything and run, nothing will. He fixed His eyes on the joy of seeing us transformed. With that vision He was able to finish His run on a shameful cross. That was the victory tape. When He burst through He found Himself the winner of all time, seated at the right hand of the throne of God. That is where we need to keep our eyes. When the race gets tough, when we are tired, tempted to just give up, look at Jesus. What a race He ran! What a victory He won! He started us on this race, and He will help us finish it. Prayer: Lord, help me to run unhindered, help me to keep my focus and attention on you, help me to run with endurance and finish strong. Amen.