Hebrews 4:4-6
From verse 1 my mind started to think about the definition of what dead works is. Which then the Holy Spirit reminded me of what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13 which would imply that anything done without love and faith would be considered dead and therefore only done out of habit and routine rather than a genuine passion
We cover the essential things first, which means that generalized things tend to be the foundation for more complex things. Over time we get more specific.
In school or dating, we start with the gen-ed courses or the basics then over time we transition into more intentional and intimate topics such as major courses or what are some wounds you are in the process of healing.
So does this mean with all we’re doing it won’t guarantee any advancement or progress if God doesn’t want us to progress in that area?
Restoration or to restore tends to mean fixing what was broken back to its former shape or beauty or it could mean fixing back to a place where our mind enjoyed that thing the most
We go from level to level when we are in a relationship with God. We don’t go back to square one.
Even if we fall it is further than where we started from in the time before
In Isaiah 43:18-19 it says “ “
Don’t look back to the former things but focus on the present environment
(Verse 6) does this mean we don’t bring them back because they have to want to return to God themselves? (similar to the prodigal son, the father was there waiting and even running back to meet his son once he saw him but the father wasn’t going to leave his home once he saw the effort from his son to return from his previous lifestyle)
It’s one thing to say you want something, it’s another thing to sacrifice for it and put skin in the game to get it.
(Verse 8) Just because something is in proximity to another thing doesn’t mean that it will become that thing.
This showed me that on one side there is hope that a situation or person can change.
On the other side, it showed me that there is still potential for someone or something to fall or break. (this reminds me of Judas, Saul, and even myself because I know when I’ve been closer to God and still took my eyes off of Him and even with He still picked me up and loved me, Peter denied Jesus 3 times, and before that, Peter walked on water towards Jesus. Before the denial, Peter cut off the ear of one of the people arresting Jesus and Jesus still chose to build His church with Peter. David who as a man after God’s own heart still lusted, killed, lied, and hid his sin, and after his repentance to the Lord he was still going to have Jesus come through his lineage to save the world from sin and welcome us with a gift of salvation.
This also helped me to think about how God chooses the broken and makes a masterpiece
There is a specific art form in the Japanese culture called Kinstugi which is a physical depiction of using what is broken and mending it to a place that has more value than before.
Our gold lining is the Holy Spirit living actively within us and God working with us day to day moment to moment.
Sometimes pressure is applied to change the content that is held within for a greater purpose (grapes - wine, Olives - Oil)
Finally, this showed me that there is still hope for a better outcome after the pressing
(Verse 10) Maybe this verse is saying, yes your humanness showed and you chose your flesh in this situation and God still values what you have done in the other areas of your life and He will still address where you currently are.
This was another representation of God’s grace, a gift we didn’t deserve but He provided it anyway
As we receive it we also can give it (This concept is backed by the following verse 11)
(Verse 12) If you are trying to live from a place of love, forgiveness, and grace you will be so concerned with that, that you won’t have the time nor the energy to rest in past moments of pain hurt, and frustration because you will be focused on the gift of gratitude as your perspective changes once you fully grieve a situation
(verse 14) When God gives us a word (promise) He will always follow through with that action coming to life
After waiting or even just living in the moment you will begin to transition into the thing you have been praying for without you realizing it as you focus on God rather than the unexpected situation in front of you
(verse 16) In the DMV (D.C Maryland Virginia) area growing up, we would say “on God” which was a way to verify the fact that we were telling the truth, this stemmed from a small understanding of knowing that it was wrong to use God’s name in vain and to lie.
Truthfully I wasn’t aware that this was even in the Bible until I read it again.
This is another example of how God has seen it before and knows it all. This is another reason why when we read His word it reads back to us and we can understand how to navigate any situation in our lives when we take it back to Him and seek His wisdom on it.
Currently, I am faced with a situation where I am waiting on God, and in my frustration, I finally communicated how I genuinely felt about everything that I have been facing and it reminded me of how Job finally cried out to God after being approved by God for testing by the enemy. Of course the following chapters, God questioned Job’s position in creation and also reprimanded his friends for their lack of guidance.
How long did Job experience these trials?
Some say 2 years others say 3.5 years
(Verses 16-17) this also could have been why earlier in the Bible Jesus commanded us to let our yes mean yes and our nos mean no (Matthew 5:37)
(Verse 18) the reality of this is that it’s not easy making the choice to hold on but we have to do our best to choose the way out of living in our flesh
1 Corinthians 10:13 “He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability to resist, but along with the temptation he has in the past and is now and will always provide the way out as well, so that you will be able to endure it without yielding and will overcome temptation with joy.”
2 Corinthians 1:8-9 “We were utterly weighed down, beyond our strength… this happened so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead. He rescued us from so great a threat of death and will continue to rescue us.”
James 1:2-4 “Consider it nothing but joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you fall into various trials. Be assured that the testing of your faith through experience produces endurance leading to spiritual maturity and inner peace. And let endurance have its perfect result and do a thorough work, so that you may be perfect and completely developed in your faith, lacking in nothing.”
(Verse 19) We know if God said it, it’s settled
Matthew 7:24-25 “So everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods and torrents came, and the winds blew and slammed against the house; yet it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.
Psalm 139:7-8 Where can I go from your Spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? If I ascend to Heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol behold you are there.
Isaiah 40:8 “The grass withers, the flowers fades, but the word of our God stands forever.”
Isaiah 57:18-19 “I have seen his willful ways, but I will heal him; I will lead him also and will restore comfort to him and those who mourn for him, As I create the praise of his lips, Peace, peace, to him who is far away both Jew and Gentile and to him who is near! Says the Lord; and I will heal him making his lips blossom anew with thankful praise
In chapter 7 verses 24-26, I believe that the question of “ Can one person lose their salvation” was answered.
“But, on the other hand, Jesus holds His priesthood permanently and without change, because He lives on forever. Therefore He is able also to save forever those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede and intervene on their behalf with God. It was fitting for us to have such a High Priest perfectly adapted to our needs, holy, blameless, unstained by sin, separated from sinners, and exalted higher than the heavens.”
Jesus is everything we need before we know we need it. He is the way the truth and the life.
