At the birth of our children, our first thought is love.  This love, that we never felt before, sees nothing but beauty in their tiny faces.  We glow when we present them to others to see and hold.  Our instinct, however, is to protect them. We vow that we will take care of all their needs and work hard each day to do just that—making sure they have food, clothes, and a roof over their heads.  We cherish them with a love so powerful we don’t fully understand it ourselves.  But we know, without prodding, that we will stand by them, hurt when they hurt, wishing we could take their pain on ourselves, while wiping their tears.  As they grow, our love only grows stronger.

This great love leads us to nurture them so that as they grow healthy physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually from infant through those toddler years, from toddler through elementary school to young adults through high school with compassionate care.  This loving care includes the disciplines of life.  Discipline with wisdom from God teaches us the skills for living life to the full.  This wisdom was based on the Big Ten that God delivered to Moses so that God’s people could grow in their love for him as He provided for all their needs.  Number one was Love God.  The second is to love others.  The eight others are formed from the first two, says Jesus.

When our growing children, who we love as much as ourselves or more, are disobedient and turn their backs on all that we tell them will help them to grow and mature in this love—it frustrates and exasperates us, right?  It’s because immature children do not see the larger picture—yet.  They only see what is in front of them, the shiny object that gets their momentary attention or the desire to be accepted by a group that also seeks to satisfy self, too.  So, they rebel against you and your great love for them.  They replace your no for their yes instead of loving you back with faith in your loving care of them.

Rebellion began with Adam and Eve.  The writer of Hebrews is explaining how this rebellion against God’s love, mercy, and grace with a promise to provide for all their needs continued through Moses’ generation and beyond!  But God’s love never fails or gives up on us.  He renews His promise because God is faithful—even when we are not.

When God’s children, who claim to believe but fail to have faith in Him, God is exasperated, too, like we are as parents!  How can we turn down God’s best for us?  Why turn down the discipline of growing in His love, accepting his mercy and generous grace.  Why do we stop seeking the wisdom of the One who created all, knows all and is in all for living our lives well by doing what HE says is good and right for us? 

But we do turn Him down in rebellion for our own desires.  Wow, we need a Savior! God knew what we would need from the beginning.  Jesus, His One and Only Son, provided. 

Take the mercy, accept the help.

Hebrews 4, The Message

When the Promises Are Mixed with Faith

^1-3 For as long, then, as that promise of resting in him pulls us on to God’s goal for us, we need to be careful that we’re not disqualified. We received the same promises as those people in the wilderness, but the promises didn’t do them a bit of good because they didn’t receive the promises with faith. If we believe, though, we’ll experience that state of resting. But not if we don’t have faith. Remember that God said,

Exasperated, I vowed,
    “They’ll never get where they’re going,
    never be able to sit down and rest.”

^3-7 God made that vow, even though he’d finished his part before the foundation of the world. Somewhere it’s written, “God rested the seventh day, having completed his work,” but in this other text he says, “They’ll never be able to sit down and rest.” So this promise has not yet been fulfilled. Those earlier ones never did get to the place of rest because they were disobedient. God keeps renewing the promise and setting the date as today, just as he did in David’s psalm, centuries later than the original invitation:

Today, please listen,
    don’t turn a deaf ear . . .

^8-11 And so this is still a live promise. It wasn’t canceled at the time of Joshua; otherwise, God wouldn’t keep renewing the appointment for “today.” The promise of “arrival” and “rest” is still there for God’s people. God himself is at rest. And at the end of the journey we’ll surely rest with God. So let’s keep at it and eventually arrive at the place of rest, not drop out through some sort of disobedience.

^12-13 God means what he says. What he says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey. Nothing and no one can resist God’s Word. We can’t get away from it—no matter what.

The High Priest Who Cried Out in Pain

^14-16 Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let’s not let it slip through our fingers. We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

“Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let’s not let it slip through our fingers. We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help.”

Lord,

Thank you for your word of promise in Jesus who saved us and set us free for our sins and from our selfishness. Thank you for your mercy delivered by your rescue. Thank you for your generous grace and relentless, unchanging, great love for us.  I’m sorry for all the times I frustrate you and cause you to become exasperated with me until I realize you are right all along. 

Thank you for saving my soul.  Thank you for holding me close as I accept your help in all the details of Today. 

In Jesus Name, Amen