Hebrews is filled with
warnings about falling away. My heart was attracted to verses 11 & 12. My
sense was they explain why the writer was so concerned and what his hope was in
warning all who read this letter. We want
each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your
hope sure. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through
faith and patience inherit what has been promised (11-12).
The writer wants us to
understand the surety of faith… to avoid laziness so that we inherit all that
was promised. How do we inherit all that was promised? By imitating those who
diligently followed the Lord faithfully to the end.
I find myself thinking
about the great cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1). I start with women and men I
know who followed Jesus faithfully from the day of their conversion until life’s
last day… Wendell, Bill, George, Mildred, Bertha, Connie. I thought of friends
still walking this earth who are models of faithfulness for me… Jeff, Colleen,
Harry, Lloyd, Joan…I could go on.
Then I thought of ‘saints’
who have gone on before and whose names and lives I have read about in the
history of the church… Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Bonheoffer, Wilberforce,
Newton
And so my time went today,
thinking about those whom I could imitate… faithful Christ-followers who inspire
me to heights of faith and faithfulness I have yet to
reach.
Lord God,
thank You for sisters and brothers, those I can look up to and those with whom I
can lock arms as I seek to live faithfully for You, day after every day, until
You see fit to bring me to my eternal inheritance. Through Jesus, my Lord, and
Great High Priest. Alleluia. Amen.
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