The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in JHebrews 13:1-2,
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
"Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it."
This wonderful snippet of Scripture captures our imagination and our sense of enchanted interest and excitement. How is it there have been believers who have provided hospitality for angels and didn't know it at the time? Possibly they fed them and put them up for the night and sent them on their way as those who shared in the early work of the ministry.
Here we have an acknowledgment that certain messengers have come from God himself and have made themselves available to be served by us believers in acts of love. Just fascinating to contemplate, isn't it? In so many different ways we are told that God injects himself in our lives. Does it still happen today? Does God send angels, his messengers to us and through us to accomplish what he desires? I am of the persuasion he still does. I confess I don't have any inside information on it but I know of no reason why it wouldn't be the case.
But there is something here in this passage I see that far surpasses the intriguing possibility we might encounter angels in our lives from time to time. It demonstrates a greater and mightier presence of God in our lives and in the world than the chance we might have an encounter with angels. That "something" is the exhortation to "keep on loving each other as brothers."
The grounds for this exhortation to love one another as brothers lies in the reality that we have been equipped by God himself to do so. In the benediction/doxology at the end of this letter, later in this chapter, the writer of Hebrews says, "May the God of peace… that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." Hebrews 13:20-21.
This benediction, "May the God of peace… equip you with everything good for doing his will" points to the reality that God does this in our lives. He equips us. Sometimes we get the notion we can equip ourselves, but the truth is that the Holy Spirit bears this fruit in our lives as something he does as we come near him (see James 4:8). Paul tells us in Galatians 5:22-23 that the Holy Spirit bears the following qualities in our lives, "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." This is where our enablement comes from to love one another. He changes cold hard hearts from within!
More astonishing and surprising than having an encounter with an angel is having an encounter with a change that has taken place within us! We often surprise ourselves and think (and probably more so of ourselves than others – because we know ourselves so well) "now where did that come from?!"
How wonderful and intriguing is that?! If God be anything, he certainly is wonderful and intriguing!
This wonderful snippet of Scripture captures our imagination and our sense of enchanted interest and excitement. How is it there have been believers who have provided hospitality for angels and didn't know it at the time? Possibly they fed them and put them up for the night and sent them on their way as those who shared in the early work of the ministry.
Here we have an acknowledgment that certain messengers have come from God himself and have made themselves available to be served by us believers in acts of love. Just fascinating to contemplate, isn't it? In so many different ways we are told that God injects himself in our lives. Does it still happen today? Does God send angels, his messengers to us and through us to accomplish what he desires? I am of the persuasion he still does. I confess I don't have any inside information on it but I know of no reason why it wouldn't be the case.
But there is something here in this passage I see that far surpasses the intriguing possibility we might encounter angels in our lives from time to time. It demonstrates a greater and mightier presence of God in our lives and in the world than the chance we might have an encounter with angels. That "something" is the exhortation to "keep on loving each other as brothers."
The grounds for this exhortation to love one another as brothers lies in the reality that we have been equipped by God himself to do so. In the benediction/doxology at the end of this letter, later in this chapter, the writer of Hebrews says, "May the God of peace… that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." Hebrews 13:20-21.
This benediction, "May the God of peace… equip you with everything good for doing his will" points to the reality that God does this in our lives. He equips us. Sometimes we get the notion we can equip ourselves, but the truth is that the Holy Spirit bears this fruit in our lives as something he does as we come near him (see James 4:8). Paul tells us in Galatians 5:22-23 that the Holy Spirit bears the following qualities in our lives, "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." This is where our enablement comes from to love one another. He changes cold hard hearts from within!
More astonishing and surprising than having an encounter with an angel is having an encounter with a change that has taken place within us! We often surprise ourselves and think (and probably more so of ourselves than others – because we know ourselves so well) "now where did that come from?!"
How wonderful and intriguing is that?! If God be anything, he certainly is wonderful and intriguing!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
No comments:
Post a Comment