Get ready to start a journey…a journey through the pages of the Bible and the pages of your life.
Several years ago, a southern governor announced his presidential campaign, which was widely endorsed by conservative Christians. They felt they had their candidate until…news came out about the governor’s year-long affair with a former television reporter from Argentina. It turned out that the conservative governor was leading two lives.
Plans are like nouns; they involve people, places, and things. Our personal plans always impact others. The time spent carrying out a plan means time away from people in your life. The money invested in a plan leaves a smaller amount to invest in other things. The energy you put into one thing means less energy for something else. Today’s passage says it this way:
Have you ever heard of Bernard Lawrence Madoff? Maybe you know him better by Bernie Madoff. He confessed to his sons on December 10, 2008, that the asset management arm of his securities investment firm was a giant Ponzi scheme or, as he put it, “one big lie.” That “big lie” cost his clients $65 billion. But before it was exposed, the “big lie” provided a lavish lifestyle for the Madoff family.
God made our hearts to dream. Big dreams! Great things! Let’s be honest. What Christian says, “I want to barely be saved, live a go-along-to-get-along Christian life, and make it into heaven by the skin of my teeth.” The true believer wants to do meaningful things for a great God.
When we belong to God and have been declared righteous by our trust in the finished work of Christ, he directs our paths. Sometimes, the paths may not be fully illuminated at first. The way may seem confusing. Fear covers the trail like dense fog.
We established in yesterday’s passage that the fear of God is the beginning of knowledge. Fear of God is not cowering in a corner; it is a reverent awe. We acknowledge that God alone is God, and we worship him; that is, we honor him as worthy of our praise and gratitude in every area of our lives. From the position of reverent awe, we strive to acquire wisdom.
Ray Pritchard on clinging to Jesus when life caves in, trusting even when we don’t understand, and keeping our eyes focused on eternity.
Lives are at stake. Fools on the road ignore the rules of the road. And that is how it is with all of life. When you ignore life’s road rules, you will end up doing some foolish and dangerous things.
Our passage today reminds us that the beginning of true knowledge and understanding begins with a proper awe and reverence for God.
Road signs…they are everywhere. Did you know 500 federally approved road signs are in use today? They tell us when to stop, slow down, and yield. Some tell us to change lanes or take an exit. Others tell us the road we need to take is closed, or the road we don’t need to take is now open.
Jesus told those who followed him, “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11). He explained that the good shepherd was willing to lay down his life for the sheep. A hired hand would abandon the sheep to protect himself from the threat of wild animals. But Jesus, the great shepherd, would always take care of his own.
The Christian faith begins and ends with Jesus. Check out today’s passage.
Suppose I harnessed myself to the back of a powerful diesel tractor with the goal of standing firm while the tractor tried to pull me over. I would feel a part of the tractor’s power for a nanosecond before I went down. But suppose one could stand their ground against the power of the tractor. That person would be the only one who felt the full power of the tractor. That’s what Jesus did and felt by taking on the full-throttled power of sin.
Hebrews 3:1 provides two names for Jesus. Yesterday, we considered why Jesus is called the apostle. Today, let’s look at Jesus as our high priest.