Hebrews 4:14-16
“Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Today as you start to read this devotional, I have a question for you. What holds the most importance in your life? Faith? Family? Friends? Money? Facebook? Sports? House? Bills? Fun?
Many of us might struggle to land on that one thing. Some would say that a few are equal in importance. For some, it might depend on the day. Others might not really know. However, whether we recognize it or not, something does hold first place in our lives.
Each person must decide what that one thing will be. We might claim one thing, but our actions will expose what is truly most important to us. No one has the ability to believe one thing and do another for very long.
The first verse shows that Jesus is the High Priest. He has been through the heavens. We are instructed to hold fast to our confession that we have made that Jesus is Lord. If this is true, then our daily lives must reflect our confession. Our actions flow from our confession. Jesus has walked through what we have walked through without sin. We struggle with sin, daily, and fail often, but Jesus never fell to sin.
I would like to take you back to our original question, what holds the most importance in your life? Many will say Jesus Christ, but in all actuality, it’s materialistic possessions, social media, or whatever consumes most of your time. The key to living a life where our confession matches our actions is to rely on the throne of grace as we see in the last verse. We must draw close to Jesus for his grace and mercy. Without Jesus, we will lose. We will live a life that is consumed with things that really don’t matter. If family comes before Jesus then you will fail. Please read that sentence again. The people of God can not lead the people of God or even their own families without placing Jesus first in their life. The church is seeing that more and more. More and more people who claim Christ as Lord place sports, fun, convenience, money, comfort, and even safety before Jesus. My friends, I encourage you to go to the throne of grace and hang out there for a while.
- What thing or things tends to creep ahead of Christ in your life?
- What ‘good’ things can become idols when we place them before Jesus?
- What is the danger in that?
Highlight – what words or phrases jump out at you
Explain – what does the passage mean?
Apply – how does the passage intersect with your life today?
Respond – how is God leading you to respond?
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Today's reading - Hebrews 4:4-16. "The people of God can not lead the people of God or even their own families without placing Jesus first in their life."