A few weeks ago, we talked about paying attention, so we don’t drift away. Like the warning signs that tell us of the dangers of a riptide, we need to pay attention so that it doesn’t lead to severe injury or death. The problem is that, sometimes, we get so used to seeing the warnings that we begin to ignore them. When that happens, disaster is right around the corner.
That was the issue for the people of Israel. The writer of Hebrews gives us a warning sign by telling us about the history of when Israel was wandering in the desert and when they rebelled against God. “Do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing…” (Hebrews 3:8). Because they hardened their hearts, an entire generation couldn’t enter the Promised Land.
We would do well to learn from the mistakes of others.
There is no doubt that spiritually, times are difficult. It is not easy to be a Christian in our culture. Yet we must also remember that “easy” spiritually has its own pitfalls - our faith can become atrophied and weak. Testing can be good as it can strengthen our faith, but when we face trials, we must seek to avoid a heart that grumbles against God.
How do we combat this and walk in faithfulness? A critical lesson in Hebrews 3 is that by staying in community with each other, we can encourage one another in our walk with God. Scripture gives us this recipe: love, encourage, and pray for one another. By doing so, and in God’s amazing grace, the Holy Spirit uses these acts of mutual care to see us press on in our faith.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Aaron
That was the issue for the people of Israel. The writer of Hebrews gives us a warning sign by telling us about the history of when Israel was wandering in the desert and when they rebelled against God. “Do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing…” (Hebrews 3:8). Because they hardened their hearts, an entire generation couldn’t enter the Promised Land.
We would do well to learn from the mistakes of others.
There is no doubt that spiritually, times are difficult. It is not easy to be a Christian in our culture. Yet we must also remember that “easy” spiritually has its own pitfalls - our faith can become atrophied and weak. Testing can be good as it can strengthen our faith, but when we face trials, we must seek to avoid a heart that grumbles against God.
How do we combat this and walk in faithfulness? A critical lesson in Hebrews 3 is that by staying in community with each other, we can encourage one another in our walk with God. Scripture gives us this recipe: love, encourage, and pray for one another. By doing so, and in God’s amazing grace, the Holy Spirit uses these acts of mutual care to see us press on in our faith.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Aaron
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