For [earthly fathers] disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Hebrews 12

For [earthly fathers] disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12:10-11

I continue my study of Hebrews, and this morning my focus is Hebrews 12:1-11, and my unaided observations of the text.  Here, we pivot from chapter 11 and the "hall of faith," where the author of Hebrews provides examples from the Old Testament - those who did not taste the fullness of the promises made by God but remained obedient and faithful regardless.  They believed in the unseen and saw what others (those not faithful) could not see because of the hardness of their heart. Chapter 12 starts with a "therefore," where the author wants us to, in light of the many examples of faith provided, also be faithful...and faithful to the end when either Jesus returns or He brings us home to heaven.  We are encouraged not be weary and to look to not just the Old Testament examples of faithfulness, but more importantly to Jesus Himself, who despite His suffering up to and including the cross, endured. The author of Hebrews uses the analogy discipline and how an earthly father disciplines us for our own good - although it may be difficult for us to endure. Earthly discipline is compared to how God disciplines us.  

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Jesus, You are so good and You are full of amazing grace and compassion for me - even when I am disciplined.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of Your grace and compassion for me.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus.  Help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Please give wisdom and energy to Lisa and myself.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

Romans 8

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. Romans 8:16-17

This morning, I continued my study of Romans.  Using my commentary - Exalting Jesus in Romans (eBook) - I continued with chapter ten The New Way of the Spirit, which covers Romans 8.  My focus today is Romans 8:14-17, which my commentary refers to under the heading The Spirit of Adoption.  Here, Paul describes a glorious relationship that we have with our Savior - He is our Father in Heaven (Paul refers to Jesus as Abba and Father in v15) and we are part of his family via adoption (also in v15). What is also clear is that unbelievers are not children of God, as scripture makes clear that only those who are led by the Spirit of God (and you can't do this without accepting Jesus as Your Lord and Savior) are children of God (v14). All are created by God but not all are part of God's family.  Paul also highlights in v17 how we are heirs - implying an inheritance.  Paul's letters refer to "inheritance" 7 times (most prominently in Ephesians 1) and once by Peter (1 Peter 1:4) - these instances describe something incredible and according to Peter: "an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you." Believers need to let this sink in on both counts - how we have a Father in Heaven of course who is always there for us, loves us more than anyone ever will, and how He has saved place in Heaven for us.  However, we must also remember that there is a cost which Paul refers to in v17 which indicates "provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him."  We may not want to suffer but we know that God is glorified most when we are weak (2 Corinthians 12:9-11). 

My commentary encourages us to see this new identity, intimacy, and inheritance. We are part of a "royal family" and have "all the rights and privileges of a natural child." We are also encouraged to see the horizontal dimension of our relationship to other believers - brothers and sisters in Christ. The commentary also wants us to seek our Father's vocation - to be a light as He is a light. Our new intimacy should give us confidence to approach God as the "fear" (v15) is replaced with "acceptance and security."  We know we can come to God with all of our cares and concerns. 

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for the blessings of adoption!  Amazing - I am not deserving of such blessings and of ALL the blessings You pour out for me - particularly salvation.  My sin - worry, etc. continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

1 Chronicles 1, 2, 4, 3

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.  God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land. Psalm 68:5-6

Day 285 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) continues as my commentary* turns to the book of 1 Chronicles where genealogies are recorded "from Adam to Noah to Abraham and Isaac; the descendants of Esau (the Edomites); and the 12 tribes descending from Jacob (Israel), with the exception of Dan and Zebulun. Special emphasis is given to the royal tribe of Judah, the priestly line of Levi, and the Benjamite genealogy of King Saul."  My commentary* notes that "An important part of any nation’s history is the preservation of national archives. Genealogical records are particularly vital to the division and ownership of property, to marriages and inheritance, to right of office, and to royal privilege. Perhaps one of the most important reasons for the genealogies will not be fully appreciated until the Messiah is born. At that time one of the many proofs of his messiah-ship will be that he is of the lineage of King David and the house of Judah, just as the prophets have foretold.....Although they do not make particularly exciting reading, their importance to the nation at this time cannot be overstated."

*Smith, F. LaGard. The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®). Harvest House Publishers. Kindle Edition. 

I am reminded of the genealogy recorded by Matthew that describes Jesus lineage from Abraham.

For me, at least a couple of takeaways.  God promised a messiah and that the messiah would come from Abraham and David's line.  God fulfilled a promise with Jesus.  God is faithful.  We also all have an earthly father but more importantly we have a heavenly father in Jesus (Abba).

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, Abba, You are a good, good Father - and my Lord and Savior.  Thank You for coming to save me and for never leaving or forsaking me.  I love You.  I am not deserving of such a God.  I continue to sin, including worry, gossip, etc. Please forgive me Jesus!  Help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, who did all those signs and wonders the Lord sent him to do in Egypt—to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.

Deuteronomy 32:48-34

Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, who did all those signs and wonders the Lord sent him to do in Egypt—to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel. Deuteronomy 34:10-12

Day 66 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) focuses on Moses final moments before He dies - He is allowed from on high to gaze over and view the Promised Land (but not allowed to enter), and he performs a blessing to the Israelites, offering words of great encouragement.  Moses then dies and we have this incredible epitaph capturing his life.

Contained within the epitaph are these wonderful words that "the Lord knew [Moses] face to face".  The Israelites feared God (we all should) and did not want to interact directly with God - instead they requested Moses do this on their behalf (see Exodus 20:18-19).  Yet while we should fear God, we should come to know God as personal, approachable and full of love, compassion and mercy for us - He loves us just as any father loves their children.  John Piper offers this great short interview on this question - he also offers this post - in this latter post Piper writes that "God is ten thousand times better than any good father".  As such, we should desire to develop a daily, lifelong, and personal relationship with Jesus whereby we read, study, and reflect on Him and we offer praise and prayer to Him.  He is our heavenly Father and High Priest.

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:14-16

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are my heavenly Father and I know I can approach You with confidence - Yes, I DO fear You, but more importantly I love You and I desire to grow in my relationship with You such that I can please and honor You with my life.  I am completely undeserving of Your love and grace.  I sin...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

Psalm 68

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.  God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land. v5-6

God is to us who we need and seek - "our Father in heaven".  He is this to all His children regardless of our circumstances and He demands that we focus on Him first, even when we our earthly circumstances deceive us into thinking that our earthly families are more important.

In Matthew 8, Jesus responds to a disciple that sought to attend to his family instead of focusing on God: 

Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”  But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” Matthew 8:21-22

The primacy of our relationship with Jesus vs our earthly relationships is supported elsewhere in scripture:

Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him.  A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.” 

“Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked.

Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” Mark 3:31-35

My Prayer: Lord, You alone are my Heavenly Father - able to do all things, knowing of all things, existing before time began and after time ends, You are in all things and hold all things together, You are my all in all.  I am deeply grateful for Your abounding love and grace and for Your son Jesus.  Thank You for sending Your Son...for me.  I am not worth such a gift...completely undeserving.  I worry far too much, and I lack patience, compassion, and kindness for others.  Please forgive me Jesus!  Help me overcome such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin...and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.

Psalm 9

Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you. v10

Indeed, this - that He will never forsake me - is a promise God makes often.  He knows us...He knows how easily we forget, how we worry, etc.  Just like a child needs a parent, we need our heavenly father.  God desires for us to run to Him just like we have our earthly parents...in times of joy, triumph, sadness, tragedy, etc.  In all circumstances, God wants us....and as the Psalm says, He will be there when we call.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

See also Deuteronomy 31:6, 31:8, Joshua 1:5, 1 Kings 8:57, Hebrews 13:5 for the following verse that is nearly identical each time it appears:

I will never leave you nor forsake you.

As Jesus sends out the twelve for the Great Commission, he says: "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20

My Prayer: Lord, You are an incredible God that I know is always there when I call...in all circumstances. Yet there are times when my trust and faith in You is not "with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength".  For this alone, I know I am not worthy of a God such as You Jesus.  Thank You for all that You are, all that You have done and all that You will continue to do.  Please forgive me for my harshness with my family.  Help me turn from and overcome my sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength. Help me love others as You love me. Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure Lisa of her cancer and the side effects from chemo and radiation.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin...and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.