Hebrews 13:1 - Keep
on loving each other as brothers.
I seem to get a little sad at the end of a chapter…if you really
read these books..you get to know the person who wrote them. And even though I
had a hard time understanding him at first…these last few chapters were very clear. They helped me to see that my relationship
with the Trinity that provides my salvation should not be a one way street…if I
truly love God as no other…I will be compelled to develop a heart of service
and begin to feel a passion to do what Jesus did on this Earth. If I truly let him transform me into his
vessel…I will be driven by a passion to provide service to others.
As I took notes on my reading… 10 rules seemed to reveal
themselves to me. These ten rules the author of Hebrews leaves us with…seemed super
important…since Moses left us with an original 10 commandments too. The first
one is kind of a no brainer…loving each other …but he says to love everyone
like brothers. Now since I only noticed a short time ago that Jesus was
my big brother…and my relationship with my new ‘Bittle’ brother is new too…I
have to kinda suppose to know what this means. It must be telling us to treat all people like
they were our close family. To love them
in spite of the mistakes we all make and encourage each other in all that we
do.
Rule two and three…entertain strangers and those in prison. In our world of dangers around every corner…we
can let our fear of the unknown rule our decisions to help those we see that
need our help. Those people that hold the cardboard signs along the roads and
in Walmart parking lots sometimes are crying out to the world for help. Who
knows what happened in their life to get them in that shape. And even if they are suffering because of
their own bad decisions…God may need you to help them turn over a new leaf. There
are scriptures in Genesis 18 and Matthew 25 tell us that we sometimes don’t
know if the people we help might be angels.
This might sound a little crazy to some…but I say God will cover me from
any danger if he sent those people in my pathway for me to help….and if I am
hurt or even killed while helping them..it was my time to go anyway.
I have a hard time writing about rule four…I am divorced you
know. And even though the purity was broken in my marriage of 30 years by my
partner…I asked forgiveness for my own part in allowing my marriage to stop
being centered around God. And I know my
second husband struggled with the decision to marry so quickly after his first
wife died of cancer. We tend to do what we think is right and then ask God if
it is okay…instead of asking God if it is okay and then doing what he reveals
to us is right.
Rule five is something I understand very well…at first I
gave up many material things for fear that I could not afford them. I found out quickly that I really did not
need them. The nails I paid top dollar
for..the jewelry I wore…the shopping trips…the cable TV…they are all still
vacant form my life..and I don’t miss them.
I think now that I reflect upon their existence in my life…they were
just time fillers…attempts to correct a poor self concept. The TV for sure pulled me away from the time
to write and be more involved in service for others. I am becoming more content
with what God gives me…which is more than I used to ask for.
Rule six through nine…they state that we should imitate the
leaders that helped us to grow in Christ…use discernment to see through the
trickery of false teachings…offer praise to God on a continual basis…and pray
for those who preach and teach. No
hidden meanings there..huh? We should be
so in tune to God’s voice that we know what to pray for…who to lift up for
power..and praise him in every moment…good or bad.
The last rule…it is the one I have learned can give you
strength you never knew you had. When you pray to God for peace…and you really
mean it…cause I used to just say the words.
If you really get down on your knees…and you ask God to wipe out all
that worry and fear…and hate….and all those worldly possessions that keep you
from knowing him as close as you can…he comes in with that cleansing blood and
washes you so clean. A sweet peace that
surpasses any human understanding takes the place of all that doubt and fear….it
pumps up that low self esteem on a daily basis with a pride in what he has done
in your life to transform you into a new creature. He equips you with
everything you need…exactly when you need it…no matter where you are. Amazing!
Thank you once again for the salvation you gave me so long
ago…and the forgiveness you give me each new day as I rise and realize I have
strayed just once inch away from your will.
Forgive me once again today and wash me clean so I can feel your sweet
peace calm all the storms in my life.
Thank you father for your strength and power that transforms me bit by
bit….moment by moment to a vessel of your love and mercy. Give me new ears to listen more closely…new
eyes to see everything you need me to do today! Amen.
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