Tag Archives: Hebrews

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The Long-Awaited Promise Fulfilled: Celebrating Jesus, God’s Greatest Christmas Gift

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For centuries, the world waited. Generation after generation clung to a promise spoken by God himself—a promise whispered in the Garden of Eden, echoed through prophets, and carried forward by faithful hearts. When the time finally drew near, God sent the angel Gabriel to announce that the waiting was over. The promise had arrived. His name was Jesus.

From Nathan to Isaiah to King David, God repeatedly assured his people that a Savior was coming—one who would rescue, restore, and redeem. Christmas is not merely the celebration of a birth; it is the celebration of a fulfilled promise. God delivered what he had promised, and the gift was his Son.

The writer of Hebrews captures the significance of this moment beautifully:

“Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways through our ancestors the prophets, and now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son, he created the universe. The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven” (Hebrews 1:1–3).

Jesus is the one generations longed to see. They trusted he would come. Today, we rejoice because he has come. Jesus is God with us—and in his coming, he brings life, help, peace, forgiveness, and hope.

Jesus Brings Life

Jesus declared his purpose clearly:

  • “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).
  • Hebrews reminds us that Jesus became fully human so that through his death he could break the power of death and free us from the fear that enslaves us (Hebrews 2:14–15).

Christmas marks the moment when eternal life stepped into human history.

Jesus Brings Help

Jesus did not come for angels—he came for us.

  • “He came to help the descendants of Abraham” (Hebrews 2:16).
  • Because he suffered and was tested, Jesus understands our struggles and is able to help us when we face trials (Hebrews 2:18).

No matter what you are facing today, you are not alone.

Jesus Brings Peace

The peace Jesus offers is unlike anything the world can provide.

  • Philippians 4 reminds us that the peace of God—beyond all understanding—guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Christmas peace does not depend on circumstances; it rests in Christ.

Jesus Brings Forgiveness

Forgiveness required sacrifice.

  • Jesus became like us in every way so he could serve as our merciful and faithful High Priest, offering himself to take away our sins (Hebrews 2:17–18).
  • “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5).

At Christmas, forgiveness was set in motion at the manger and fulfilled at the cross.

Jesus Brings Hope

Hope looks beyond today.

  • Jesus promised in John 14 that he is preparing a place for us and will return to take us to be with him.
  • Paul reminds us that our present troubles are light and temporary compared to the eternal glory that awaits us (2 Corinthians 4).

Because Jesus came, our future is secure.

The long-awaited promise has been fulfilled. God gave us Jesus for Christmas.

Take a moment today to thank God for his gift. Thank him for his faithfulness, his goodness, and his love. And as you reflect on the miracle of Christmas, may your heart be filled with gratitude and joy.

Bible Study, Christian Life, Devotional, Encouragement, Inspiration, Uncategorized

always be content

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A Content Life

In a 2010 interview, Eunice Sandborn, age 114, said she had a happy life. She didn’t have any complaints. She believed complaining was a choice, and in her 114 years, there were times she had to choose not to complain. Eunice was content as she celebrated her birthday making her the oldest living person in the world.

The Search for Contentment

It seems Eunice had found contentment. We all search for it. Some look for it in a big home, there are those who look for it in how many cars they own, and still others search for contentment in a bank account balance. Being content is a desire we all share, and Scripture encourages us to find our contentment in the Lord.

Hebrews 13 says, “Don’t love money. Be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, ‘I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”

Finding contentment in life has seasons of plenty and seasons of need. The writer of Hebrews reminds us the Lord is with us in both seasons. We may even find the most contentment in the leanest of seasons.

The words of Hebrews 13 point to the complete reliability of God and his promises. God’s people can count on him no matter what comes.

Remember, wherever you are in life today, the Lord is saying to you, “I will never fail you. I will not abandon you.”

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Rock-Solid Promise 3: We Can Ask for Help with Confidence

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Life will pull us in many directions this year. Most likely, you and I will find ourselves needing help on more than one occasion. So, here is another rock-solid promise to which we can hold tightly.

3. We can ask for help with confidence.

We can ask for help in any and every situation, and we are assured the Lord understands. According to the rock-solid promise of Hebrews 4, the Lord will respond with mercy and grace.

Hebrews 4:16 encourages, “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

No matter where we find ourselves, or what we are forced to deal with, remember, we can ask for help, and the Lord will graciously respond.

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Rock-Solid Promise 2: The Lord Always Helps Us

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Here is the 2nd of 10 rock-solid promises to which we can cling in 2024 and beyond.

2. The Lord will always be there to help us.

Since he is not leaving us, the Lord will always be there to help us.

  • “Yes, the Lord is for me; he will help me” (Psalm 118:7).
  • “My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth” Psalm 121:2).
  • Hebrews 13:6 says, “So we can say with confidence, ‘My help comes from the Lord, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?”

No matter where we find ourselves, the Lord is always willing to help us. So, as the trials and struggles of today and the year emerge, remember, we can rely on the Lord for help.

Thanks for reading. We’ll be here tomorrow with promise 3.

Bible Study, Christian Life, Devotional, Encouragement, Inspiration, Uncategorized

Focusing

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Where’s your focus today?

There are a lot of things that can entangle our minds. The stack of bills on our desk, the never-ending to-do list, and today’s headlines are enough to make us want to hide. Keeping our focus on everything around us creates much stress and anxiety in our lives; however, the Bible suggests we place our focus elsewhere.

Hebrews 12:2 encourages more focus to be placed on our faith and less on the world. “We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”

Focusing on Jesus in today’s world can certainly be challenging, so here are a few tips to help adjust focus today.

  • Start the day by spending time with the Lord. Spend some time reading Scripture and praying. This will help start the day in the right way.
  • Follow the advice of Philippians 4. Think about whatever is pure, admirable, lovely, and excellent. All these adjectives point to Jesus.
  • Try equalizing the time spent on today’s worries with time thinking about the promises of the Lord. Equalize the worry about finances with a reminder of the Lord’s promise to provide.

Remember to focus on the Lord today as so much tries to grab your attention.

Bible Study, Christian Life, Devotional, Encouragement, Inspiration, Uncategorized

Navigating Change

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Change. Do you find it stressful or invigorating? I’m somewhere in the middle; change can be good, but for the most part, I don’t like it. No matter how much we dread change, it is unavoidable.

The world around us is always changing. Society is always evolving. Employers are always “improving systems” and having their teams work differently. As you and I go through life, change may be forced upon us, but there is one constant.

The Bible reminds us “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

So when faced with change, choose to stay encouraged and keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. With Him by your side, you can navigate any change with confidence and hope because Jesus is unchanging.

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Why can we be thankful in 2021?

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Hebrews 13 says, “Therefore let us offer, through Jesus, a continual sacrifice of praise to God proclaiming our allegiance to his name.”

A little boy was asked to say the prayer before a meal. He looked at the dish then said, “Lord, I don’t like the looks of it, but I’ll thank you anyway.” The little boy’s impression may have been that he wanted to “accidently” feed the dish to the cat, but he was thankful. We may not like the looks of life, but we still have reasons to be thankful.

Not liking the looks of life may especially hold true in 2021. There is no escaping that it has been a rough year. COVID19 has caused much difficulty. Its grip has caused anxiety, unsettled routines, financial hardships, and even worse – the pain of loss. Couple this with the usual cast of life’s seasons, and it has been a historically hard year. The looks of it may not be that appetizing. The original recipients of Hebrews could understand our perspective.

Hebrews was written to a group of Christians facing persecution. They were being told everything they heard and believed about Jesus was false. They needed to revert back to the Old Testament ways of worship. Heavy pressure was being applied in an attempt to force the believers away from Christianity. Life did not look appetizing for these folks, so the writer wanted to encourage them.

There are many reasons, the writer concludes, believers can continually be thankful. Notice the word continual. Thankfulness is not designed for just the good-looking seasons of life. It is also for the times that do not look good. There are always reasons to be thankful, even in 2021. Here are just a few.

Jesus is always the same.

Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same today, yesterday, and forever.” He is changeless.

  • The same Jesus who was with God the Father at creation is still with us.
  • The same Jesus who danced in the flames of the fiery furnace is still with us today.
  • The same Jesus who was willing to leave Heaven to help us is still helping us today.
  • The same Jesus that conquered sin and overpowered death still has his power today.
  • The same Jesus who was in control yesterday is still in control today, and he will be in control tomorrow.

Jesus is changeless. In an everchanging world, we can be thankful Jesus stays the same.

The Lord will not leave us.

No matter how bad things get the Lord will stay with us.

Hebrews 13:5-6 says, “For God has said, ‘I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.’ So, we can say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?” God will always be there.

This applies to the easy times in life, and to the times when life looks grim. Perhaps a good place to see this is in Acts 7.

In its infancy, the church endured harsh persecution, and Stephen was one of those early martyrs. Acts 7 tells us Stephen was stoned because of his faith. More than that, it shows us where Jesus was during the stoning. Verses 55-56 say, “But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to Heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. ‘Look,’ he said, ‘I see Heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” Jesus wasn’t absent during Stephen’s stoning. He was present and encouraging Stephen.

This was a terrible time in Stephen’s life, and the Lord was there. He wasn’t absent or idlily watching from a distance. The Lord was right there – standing, encouraging, cheering, helping. In what can easily be considered the darkest moment in Stephen’s life, he could have confidence in the Lord. The Lord didn’t abandon him; the Lord was there with him.

There is not a great chance we will be stoned, but life can have some terrible moments. We can be thankful the Lord is there. He is there to bandage our spiritual wounds. He is there to help wipe our tears and heal our heartaches. So, we can say with confidence, “I will not fear. The Lord is my helper. Thankfully, he is always there.”

This life is only temporary.

Hebrews 13:14 reminds us this is not our permanent home. We are awaiting a world that is yet to come.

This verse serves as encouragement for us. No matter our current situation, we can truly say it is only temporary as this is not our permanent home. The struggles and difficulties this life brings do not last forever. They give way to something much better. They give way to Heaven.

While we don’t fully know what Heaven will be like, the Bible does tell us it will be a glorious place. There will be no pain, sorrow, or difficulty. Today’s struggles will be gone. There will be no pandemics or tensions caused by skin color. There will be no hurt or heartache. Rather, Scripture says there will be peace. The lame will walk, the deaf will hear, the blind will see. Heaven will be glorious.

Struggling today? Remember, this is not our permanent home. We are awaiting one that will be far better. And for this, we can truly be thankful.

We have life.

Finally, we can be thankful we have life. It may become messy at times, but the Lord has granted us life. “I have come that you may have life,” Jesus says in John 10:10, “and have it to the full.”

Someone has said, “Even though I clutch my blankets and groan when the alarm goes off, thank you for a new day. Even though I try to block out the light, thank you Lord that the sun rises. Even though I dread it, thanks God that I have the privilege of getting out of bed. Even though my family gets on my nerves, I’m thankful you blessed me with them.” We can be thankful the Lord has given us life.

Why are you thankful in 2021?

Someone has said, “Giving thanks is too often demoted to a secondary place in the prayers of Christ’s people. We are quick to make our requests and slow to thank God for his answers, because God so often answers our prayers, we come to expect it. We forget that it is only by his grace that we receive anything from him.” Why are you thankful this year?

2021 will undoubtedly be recorded as a hard year in world history, yet there are reasons we can give thanks. The Lord has blessed us in many ways, and for that, I am truly thankful. Why are you thankful in 2021?

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Valley of Broken Promises

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“I will always love you.”

“Till death do us part.”

“I’ve got your back; you don’t have to worry about this round of layoffs.”

These are promises many of us have heard only to find out they have been broken. Many of us have found ourselves walking through the valley of broken promises on more than one occasion. We were given a promise, but the promise wasn’t kept. Words were flowing freely, but the commitment was not behind them. Many may break promises, but there is One who will not send us to the valley of broken promises.

The Lord is faithful, and he always keeps his promises.

  • Psalm 12:6 says, “The Lord’s promises are pure,
        like silver refined in a furnace,
        purified seven times over.”
  • Numbers 19:23 says, “God is not a man, so he does not lie.
        He is not human, so he does not change his mind.
    Has he ever spoken and failed to act?
        Has he ever promised and not carried it through?”

Looking through history reveals God’s flawless record of keeping his promises. He promised Abraham he would become a great nation, and Abraham did. He promised Israel they would possess the land of Canaan and they did. The Lord promised Israel manna in the desert, and the manna showed up just as he said. The Lord is faithful in keeping his promises.

  • 2 Corinthians 1:20 says, “For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.”
  • Hebrews 10:23 says, “Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.”

For you and I, this means the promises we find within Scripture are true. The promises we cling to in the middle of the night are true. The promises we rely on in rough times are true. The promises in which we place our hope for a better tomorrow will be fulfilled. The Lord’s promises are true.

Choose to claim the promises we find in Scripture about our family, finances, and future, and cling to them. They are true because God always keeps his promises!

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Abraham’s Faith

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He was promised a son. He was promised from this son would come many descendants. Then Abraham was called to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice. Genesis 22 records:

22 Some time later, God tested Abraham’s faith. “Abraham!” God called.

“Yes,” he replied. “Here I am.”

2 “Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.”

Abraham’s faith is being tested. How far will he allow his faith to take him? Genesis 22 goes on:

3 The next morning Abraham got up early. He saddled his donkey and took two of his servants with him, along with his son, Isaac. Then he chopped wood for a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day of their journey, Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 “Stay here with the donkey,” Abraham told the servants. “The boy and I will travel a little farther. We will worship there, and then we will come right back.”

6 So Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac’s shoulders, while he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them walked on together, 7 Isaac turned to Abraham and said, “Father?”

“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.

“We have the fire and the wood,” the boy said, “but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?”

8 “God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son,” Abraham answered. And they both walked on together.

Notice Abraham tells his servants he and Isaac will return. Like Isaac, Abraham knows the Lord is in control. Abraham’s faith compels him to trust the Lord.

In Hebrews 11:17-19, the writer says:

17 It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God’s promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, 18 even though God had told him, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted.”[c] 19 Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead.

By faith, Abraham knew the Lord would keep his promises. Therefore, he fully trusted the Lord. The Bible encourages us to fully trust the Lord. In Proverbs 3, Solomon suggests we trust the Lord and seek him in everything we do.

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