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Purpose
So anxious to
relieve distress
we grab for solutions
anything for release
like a toddler
tearing into a package
ignoring the wrapping,
the purpose or person—
mind set only on object
missing the blessings
we settle for less.
Hebrews 12:6, “’For
those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He
receives.’”
Thank
you for participating in this devotional reflection through Hebrews Chapter 11
as we reflected on the Lord’s definition of a life lived in faith and hope. May
this Christmas bring you grace and joy as we are reminded of the Lord’s
faithfulness throughout history—past, present, and future.
And in
the New Year, beginning on January the 6th, we will continue to
journey with new scripture seeds defining purpose
as shared from Paul and Timothy in the book of Philippians.
Reflection Questions
1.
Is there a promise you feel the Lord gave you that you have not seen fulfilled
yet?
2.
Are you still trusting or have you given up? Why?
3.
What do you consider to be concrete examples of the Lord’s blessing over our definition
of best?
4.
Do you ever feel that you need to measure up to certain standards first in
order to receive His promises? Why?
5.
Do you find it difficult to keep your promises to God? What would make it
easier?
Share: What
promise has the Lord fulfilled for you already that gives you the strength to
wait again?
Hebrews 11: 40, “since God had provided something better so
that they would not, apart from us, be made perfect.”
Wait,
It’s not something many of us manage to do well. And in our
current instant society, it seems to be counterproductive. We each have a
personal internal clock that keeps us patient for just so long—and then, we
become fidgety, annoyed, irritated, and sometimes hostile. Within our own
families, with our closest friends, with those we most care about.
We can’t quite understand that this long list of saints in
Hebrews Chapter Eleven not only stood firm in their faith, lived and died by
it, but also were willing to endure tremendous hardships without actually
receiving the promise in hand.
Instead we assume we are missing out on something good if we
have to wait too long. That we are being denied something better. And it’s
quite possible that is true. Because our limited sense of better now is so much
less than God’s gift of best then.
When we reach out and grab for instant gratification, we
might lose the blessing altogether. Like Esau did in his immediate physical hunger.
Or delay the promise, like Abraham and Sarah did by trying to help God fix
things our way to speed the results. To engineer a man made solution.
In fact, God’s purposes are so much deeper, and richer, and
eternal that we cannot comprehend them, unless we are willing to listen and
hope and trust. His provision is for perfection. His love encompasses all His
people, not just a select few. We need to trust enough.
To wait.
Lord, please give us eyes to seek Your wholeness, a vision
that desires grace and salvation for all, and purify our motives to be willing
to wait for Your promises to be fulfilled in Your time, and not ours.
Your thoughts,
Hope
A dream is just a
fleeting glimpse, ideas
of delight or challenge
awakening senses to
possibilities.
Becomes hope when
acted on; building
invisible steps towards
visible reality beyond
present.
An anchor in
cold waters, chain
links rise ever
sun-ward keeping the
promise.
Hebrews 12:5, “And you have forgotten the exhortation which
is addressed to you as sons, ‘My son, do
not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, Nor faint when you are reproved
by Him;’”
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Reflection Questions
1. Have you ever had to relinquish
a promise? Why?
2. How did it affect your faith
walk?
3. Are you willing to follow a new
path without any guarantee of reward or applause? What kind of path?
Share: What dream
has the Lord given you that you need to build steps towards beginning now?
Hebrews 11:39, “Yet, all these, though they were commended
for their faith, did not receive what was promised,”
Promise
The promise they followed was beyond their realization or
participation. Yet they grasped
the value and clung to its beyond fulfillment for themselves and their
descendants. They lived into the future while in the present. Now.
How often do we become dismayed if we cannot receive
immediate answers or tangible rewards? We are a society of immediate
gratification. Even when we acknowledge it, there is often still a part of us
that craves some applause.
Yet beauty evolves. Fruit bearing trees often take several
seasons to flourish. We study and admire the cycles nature takes. We respect
the wondrous perfection of a firefly’s brief lifespan as well as the longevity
of a giant tortoise. Each of their days lived in the fullness of what they are.
Hope lives into God’s promises regardless of circumstances.
Easier to desire than to do. Unless we live each day trusting and resting in
the facts that we too can abide in His presence every moment. And we too can grasp that gift now.
Lord, help us to walk and work in faith regardless of
outward approval or censure. May it be Your Spirit’s word speaking in and
through us to share Your hope.
Your thoughts,
Wandered
Constantly alert to danger
sounds of pursuit
drummed a march in their ears
continuously moving
backtracking
setting false trails
adept animal mimics
held
faith in heart
a conscience hold on reality
despite cave dwellings.
Hebrews 12:4, “You have not yet resisted to the point of
shedding blood in your striving against sin;”
Reflection Questions
1. How would you cope with silence
from God over a period of years? Or have you?
2. Do you find your strength in
reading Scripture? What promises sustain you during season of trial?
3. Would you be willing to live in
caves for Jesus? What might a cave look like in today’s world?
Share: Have you
ever had to run from danger? Were you able to trust God in the midst of it?
How?
Hebrews 11:38, “of whom the world was not worthy. They
wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.”
Wanderers
Merrill F. Unger refers to the time between the testaments
as The Four Hundred Silent Years
counting from the prophet Malachi to the arrival of the prophet John the
Baptist. Most Biblical records for this era come from Jewish historians.
A the end of one portion of historical Jewish history,
sometimes referred to as the time of the Maccabees, they cleansed the Temple
and, “They celebrated it for eight days
with rejoicing, in the manner of the festival of booths, remembering how not
long before…they had been wandering in the mountains and caves like wild
animals.” According to the records this self-banishment lasted almost
thirty years.
Their faith took them into this harried lifestyle with no
guarantee that they would be rescued, or ever able to return home. They fled in
order to remain true to God in worship. They gave up everything they knew and
loved to follow faithfully God’s words of truth.
And that day may come again to God’s people.
Would we be as ready to stand up with this level of courage?
We who some days get upset over changes to our schedules, perceived intrusions in
our lives, and fragile egos at hints of disagreement?
Not apart from the Word and the Spirit to sustain us.
During those silent years the words and stories of Yahweh as
told by His prophets carried on through generation-to-generation waiting and
hoping for Messiah. And each Lenten season we remember the real deliverance
fulfilled. We often choose to give
up something during this season, either a habit that has become a hold on us,
or time so as to spend more fellowship in prayer.
Sometimes though that focus on making it through Lent
without … becomes our primary concern. Or during any other season of life when
we face loss and can only manage to make it through the days. Instead, perhaps
we should choose to celebrate that Jesus has won the victory for us and that
regardless of loss or gain, He supplies true hope every day. His courage every
day. His faith every moment.
Lord, please write your words into our hearts, so that we
can pass on Your stories to the next generation so that they will know Your
hope.
Your thoughts,
Recant
A prison cell,
bread and butter,
conditions intended
to break prophet down
recant his words
speed false peace.
Did not waver.
Knew to utter false hope
a greater dungeon
forging spiritual
captivity.
Hebrews 12:3, “For consider Him who has endured such
hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose
heart.”
Reflection Questions
1. Whether telling some white lies
or not continues to be a ongoing debate, how do you think a consistent pattern
of telling white lies can weaken a person’s capacity to tell the truth in a
costly confrontation?
2. What is your internal
conversation when a friend or mentor gives you negative feedback? What makes
you accept it if you do?
3. How willing are you to give
honest feedback? Is your style confrontational or compassionate?
Share: Have you
spoken truth in a public setting knowing there could be severe consequences?
Why? What was the result?
Hebrews 11:37, “…persecuted, tormented—”.
Hostility
When asked to bring forth a prophet to confirm the word of
the Lord, King Ahab of Israel reluctantly acknowledged Micaiah. Then added, “but I hate him, for he never prophesies
good concerning me, but always evil.”2 Chronicles 18:26
The prophet once again spoke the words the Lord gave and
Ahab angrily ordered Micaiah to prison, to be fed sparingly until his safe
return. To which the prophet added, “If
you return in peace, the Lord has not spoken by me.”
We can’t help but consider that the prophet’s answer had a
touch of dry irony to it, yet regardless of tone he continued to speak the
truth, no matter the consequences. He fully acknowledged his own capacity for
error while affirming the undeniable truth of God’s words. And he stood firm on
God’s words—willing to accept dire outrage.
What a contrast to the king who kept insisting Micaiah
change his words to please him and refusing to listen to truth. So set on his
own desires that he willfully chose to react with persecution over honest
petition for direction.
Persecution seems a little beyond our own reactions to
negative feedback, but is it? How often do we accuse others of malice or envy
or misunderstanding or self-serving intent when we receive negative replies?
Especially when we have sought out counsel. We may not actually say the words
out loud; yet internally argue to mask our refusal to accept truth.
Lord, please give us integrity of heart to choose to listen
and speak Your words, instead of refusing them for self-interest.
Your thoughts,
Guilt
Failure to rely on God
burrows into soul
regrets fester,
rise to volcanic surge
with public knowledge.
Unleash blame outward
angry whippings
innocent suffer
their visible scars a
continued witness to guilt,
shame-dug grooves.
Hebrews 12:2, “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and
perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising
the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Reflection Questions
1. What is your immediate reaction
to accusation?
2. If there is truth to it do you
immediately go to God in prayer, or try to explain it away to yourself?
3. How do you speak truth in love
within your family, or workplace, to keep relationships open and honest?
Share: Have you
had to take a public stand to expose a lie? What was the result?
Hebrews 11: 36, “Others suffered mocking and flogging and
even chains and imprisonment.”
Accusation
Often in the Old Testament when prophets and seers spoke
God’s truth, they received anger, retaliation, and punishment as a response. Ahab
threw Micaiah into prison because of his prophecy. King Asa threw Hanani into
prison “for delivering an unfavorable
word from the Lord.” Jeremiah was placed in prison and into a miry pit for
speaking God’s truth. King Herod into the New Testament had John beheaded, and
Peter arrested with the intent of a death sentence.
Even today when truth is spoken in public in opposition to
leaders in any forum, the retaliation often comes as legal defamation of
character or accusations of slander. Real facts get buried under mud-slinging
and false witness.
And personally when a truth is spoken personally that we
don’t want to hear we almost immediately come up with excuses, blame others,
blame circumstances—anything so as not to take responsibility.
Yet God continues to speak truth into our world and into our
lives to bring us light, and hope, and restoration. His love confronts the lies
we sometimes don’t even recognize we have absorbed, and removes the poison
before it takes hold—if we are willing to listen.
Your thoughts,
Refuse
Despite continued failure
to hide deeds in darkness,
ignorance, to contain perhaps
a season under lies, only
to explore in light of day
exposed motive, deceit,
distorted vision; attempt
continues—fractured by
uncooperative victims
demanding a public witness.
Hebrews 12:1, “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of
witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin
which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is
set before us,”
Reflection Questions
1. Jesus Himself chose silence a
few times when faced with bullying. How can we know when it is right to be
still or necessary to speak out?
2. What criteria should be used in
either private or public occurrences? Or is there a difference?
3. Which is most difficult for you
to deal with personally—veiled threats or outright confrontation? Why?
4. Are you willing to defend
others but not yourself if necessary?
Share: Under what
circumstances have you overcome your own fears or anxiety to make sure others
heard words of truth?
Hebrews 11:35, “….refusing to accept release, in order to
obtain a better resurrection.”
Endurance
Many churchgoers have heard the story of Paul and Silas,
arrested—beaten—chained—saved the jailor from suicide. Their faith and witness brought
resurrection truth to his whole household. But there is even more to the story.
After the jailor cleaned their wounds and received baptism,
Paul and Silas returned to their cells. When the word came down to release them
the jailor rushed to give them the good news. Imagine his astonishment when
Paul refused.
“..Paul replied, ‘They
have beaten us in public, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have
thrown us into prison; and now are they going to discharge us in secret?
Certainly not! Let them come and take us out themselves.’”
Paul and Silas knew full well that even greater penalties
could be ahead of them, but they would not accept back alley bullying to go unnoticed,
or hide in the dark. Paul put aside personal fear and pain to make clear his
belief and trust in Messiah. He demanded to be heard so that the truth be
spoken out loud. Shown visibly in action.
So many years have past but world history continues the use
of fear, anxiety, meritocracy, and intimidation to rule and silence honest conviction
whenever possible.
Lord, give us courage to be silent when we need to be, and
to be publically vocal when You so direct. Help us to be faithful witnesses of
Your truth—Your words in all circumstances.
Your Thoughts,
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