Thursday, August 22, 2013

Hebrews 10-11

(August 22, 2013)
As I read through these two chapters, I was impressed by a pair of related thoughts.  The first of these focused on the ties between faith and patience – when we have a strong faith that we will be blessed, we have little trouble (or less trouble) waiting for the promised blessings.  Our lack of patience seems, then, an indication of a lack of faith.  We want to see things now because we, to a greater or lesser extent, don’t believe we will see them until we actually see them.

Secondly, the nature of faith seems to require not only a belief in God and His commandments, but a firm belief that we will be rewarded for keeping His commandments.  I guess I always understood that in some manner, but I understand it more clearly after this reading.  Paul demonstrates that we have the affirmative obligation to exercise our faith and believe that obedience brings happiness.  Not merely that we have a duty to be obedient (though we do) or that sin leads to unhappiness (which it does), but an actual and firm belief that we will be blessed for our obedience.  Anything less than this firm belief is a deficiency in our faith.

We are not a people who can sulk in unhappiness, because if we have faith we have an understanding and belief that happiness is relentlessly, unwaveringly going to come if we are obedient.  If we are disobedient, we have cause for concern.  But if we are obedient, our unhappiness shows we don’t truly believe that all good things will flow to them that love the Lord.  That is where we should start if we feel unhappy.

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