SCRIPTURE:
Hebrews 12:25-29 (NKJV)
Hear the Heavenly Voice
25 See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, 26 whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.” 27 Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. 29 For our God is a consuming fire.
DEVOTION:
“What is going on? What is happening?” “What is going on with me? What is happening in my life?” This uncertainty did not just occur in our society today because of the coronavirus. In the twelfth chapter of Hebrews, the author is writing to Jewish Christians who are raising the very same questions. Ancient Jerusalem was about to be besieged by General Titus and his army during Passover. Things were about to get worst as we see later in the book of Hebrews that the Temple is destroyed, people were imprisoned and their property taken. The Roman General Titus allowed Christians to enter the city but refused to let them leave, thereby depleting food and water supplies within Jerusalem.
In the midst of the pain, disorder, disruption and uncertainty, the question that continues to emerge then and today is, “how should a person respond to the chaos resulting all around?” The Book of Hebrews, including our great cloud of witnesses, gives us guidance.
When I would visit my grandparents in Bogalusa, Louisiana there would be a large almost weekly thunderstorm. My grandmother would say, “God is talking”. We would have to sit in silence during the storm. Although it was just thunder, the principle holds true when things in our lives become shaky. God is talking and He wants us to listen.
When life gets shaky, God’s goal is to detach you from trust in the things that do not provide security (Hebrews 12:25). God speaks through the instability in our finances, relationships, world politics and even the weather.
When things begin to shake around us, trust in the promise of the New Covenant and you will not crumble. Jesus Christ is the mediator and savior of our New Covenant. God will continue to “shake” our lives so that we put our trust in Him. Do put your trust in your 401K, career or relationships. God will always prove Himself to be the most stable foundation for eternity.
Dwight V. Harry
Sr. Certified Lay Minister