Do You Trust or Complain?
Hebrews Chapter 3
Scripture: Hebrews 3:12-14 (Contemporary English Version)
12My friends, watch out! Don't let evil thoughts or doubts make any of you turn from the living God. 13You must encourage one another each day. And you must keep on while there is still a time that can be called "today." If you don't, then sin may fool some of you and make you stubborn. 14We were sure about Christ when we first became his people. So let's hold tightly to our faith until the end.
Observation: How many times in the last 10 years or so, have we heard people chant, “God is good, all the time. All the time God is good!” What are we basing this on? Perhaps our remarks are based upon what we have observed during our lifetime or perhaps our words are just a cliché. The children of Israel saw God’s goodness for 40 years and still they did not trust in Him as a good God, or as a perfect provider. Look at Hebrews chapter three, their sin was unbelief (verses 12, 19). Have you asked yourself what that really means? Look at verse 9; they saw God’s hand of provision for 40 years and still they doubted his goodness every time something happened to them. Their sin was unbelief which started from doubting God’s goodness, which is denying the very nature of God. In verse 10, God says, “…they have not known My ways.” Doubting the goodness of God is also what started Eve down the wrong path and led to all of mankind’s sin. I had a professor in Bible College that used to tell us, “sin is the suppression of the truth.” I guess from the standpoint of this chapter that he was right. When the Israelites doubted that God had their best interest in mind they sought other god’s. Remember they were slaves who were miraculously delivered by God from Egypt and from the God’s of Egypt, but on Sinai when Moses didn’t return soon enough from his visit with God, the people erected a god of Egypt and worshiped it as their deliverer. Now that is a serious suppression of the truth and a total denial of the goodness of God!
Application: How many times do I doubt the goodness of God by complaining about my own life? Either God is a good provider who I can trust completely or I have UNBELIEF! Verse 14, is huge! I HAVE TO ASK IF I AM STILL TRUSTING JESUS AS MY SAVIOR or trusting in myself to take care of my salvation? This salvation is more than just spiritual salvation. It is physical, emotional, and provisional as well. Jesus is more than a way to escape the penalty of our sin. Jesus is our very life. We need Him for life itself. We are in covenant with God as our sole provider for everything that we have and need in our life. We are in partnership with the “All Mighty.” I have to ask if I doubt the goodness of God and if I try to provide for myself as God? I need to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to me the truth of my relationship. Am I a person who trust in God or complains?
Prayer: Oh Lord, by the power of the Holy Spirit show me if I am resting in the complete provision of my Savior or denying His goodness in my whining and complaining?
Scripture: Hebrews 3:12-14 (Contemporary English Version)
12My friends, watch out! Don't let evil thoughts or doubts make any of you turn from the living God. 13You must encourage one another each day. And you must keep on while there is still a time that can be called "today." If you don't, then sin may fool some of you and make you stubborn. 14We were sure about Christ when we first became his people. So let's hold tightly to our faith until the end.
Observation: How many times in the last 10 years or so, have we heard people chant, “God is good, all the time. All the time God is good!” What are we basing this on? Perhaps our remarks are based upon what we have observed during our lifetime or perhaps our words are just a cliché. The children of Israel saw God’s goodness for 40 years and still they did not trust in Him as a good God, or as a perfect provider. Look at Hebrews chapter three, their sin was unbelief (verses 12, 19). Have you asked yourself what that really means? Look at verse 9; they saw God’s hand of provision for 40 years and still they doubted his goodness every time something happened to them. Their sin was unbelief which started from doubting God’s goodness, which is denying the very nature of God. In verse 10, God says, “…they have not known My ways.” Doubting the goodness of God is also what started Eve down the wrong path and led to all of mankind’s sin. I had a professor in Bible College that used to tell us, “sin is the suppression of the truth.” I guess from the standpoint of this chapter that he was right. When the Israelites doubted that God had their best interest in mind they sought other god’s. Remember they were slaves who were miraculously delivered by God from Egypt and from the God’s of Egypt, but on Sinai when Moses didn’t return soon enough from his visit with God, the people erected a god of Egypt and worshiped it as their deliverer. Now that is a serious suppression of the truth and a total denial of the goodness of God!
Application: How many times do I doubt the goodness of God by complaining about my own life? Either God is a good provider who I can trust completely or I have UNBELIEF! Verse 14, is huge! I HAVE TO ASK IF I AM STILL TRUSTING JESUS AS MY SAVIOR or trusting in myself to take care of my salvation? This salvation is more than just spiritual salvation. It is physical, emotional, and provisional as well. Jesus is more than a way to escape the penalty of our sin. Jesus is our very life. We need Him for life itself. We are in covenant with God as our sole provider for everything that we have and need in our life. We are in partnership with the “All Mighty.” I have to ask if I doubt the goodness of God and if I try to provide for myself as God? I need to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to me the truth of my relationship. Am I a person who trust in God or complains?
Prayer: Oh Lord, by the power of the Holy Spirit show me if I am resting in the complete provision of my Savior or denying His goodness in my whining and complaining?
An invitation to rest!
S. Hebrews 4:3 "For we who have believed do ENTER THAT REST,.."
o. I watched the Fox news on the Middle-East early this morning. It was painful to see clips of Palestinians handing out sweets to people on the streets to celebrate the death of Israeli soldiers. Then there was the ominous threat from Iran about sending homicide bombers and how they were helping North Korea develop nuclear weapons." This seems like a world out of control....but then I read chapter 4 of Hebrews and normalcy returned. Thank you Lord. Amidst all this chaos and evil, you repeatedly invite us to BELIEVE and ENTER YOUR REST. What an incredible God, how powerful and loving to make us such an offer, one so needed!!
A. This rest is a reliable promise if I believe His Word. Hebrews 4:12 gives us this mighty verse: "For the Word of God is LIVING and POWERFUL, and SHARPER than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a DISCERNER OF THE THOUGHTS AND INTENTS OF THE HEART." The Word of God is my security blanket. Nuclear bombs faze out before this awesome Word! So BELIEVE IT AND REST!
p. Father, thank you for loving us so lavishly. Being our protector and defender. I humble myself before You and declare that I trust you no holds barred. I know that I need to trust you more and to step out more boldly as Your Spirit prompts. Thank you for the deeper work you are doing in me today. I rejoice that You care so much and are so profoundly interested in who I am and what I do. I rest in Your LOVE.May those who approach me today feel rested in my presence and may Your love in me spill over unto them and let them know how precious they are.
Denise Scaglione
Posted by
Anonymous |
10:38 AM