New Testament Reading Plan: Hebrews 11-13
SCRIPTURE READING
Phil 3: 12-14 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to
make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider
that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining
forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of
God in Christ Jesus. (ESV)
There is a BIG difference between immature people who are struggling to grow and mature
in their walk with God and people who are rebellious. The immature are on the right path
and moving in the right general direction. They have lots of struggles in their lives life, and
lots of problems and lots of weaknesses and character issues, but somewhere deep down
inside underneath all of that – in their heart of hearts – they have a desire to say ‘yes’ to
God; they have a desire to do right; they have a desire to please Him. Therefore, they keep
heading towards God, their immaturities and weaknesses become very evident and their
path isn’t a straight bee-line for God – there’s all kinds of detours and roundabouts and
back-tracks; and they fall off the path many times. But in all of this they are repenting and
confessing sins and weaknesses to God. God views this life with a huge smile of delight
and He has an INFINITE SUPPLY of patience for human weaknesses and immaturity,
when the cry of a person’s heart is ‘yes’ towards Him. It’s not that there isn’t discipline or
consequences for their sin, but they are disciplined by a loving and tender Heavenly Father.
On the other hand, rebellious people are totally in love with the world, and are intent on
doing their own thing. The rebellious heart is busy blazing their own trail and doing their
own thing and though they may have a bunch of Christian beliefs in their head, the cry of
their heart is not ‘yes’ to God – it’s ‘yes’ to themselves. For this person God’s discipline is not
that of a tender-loving Father, but of an angry father. And if, over time, they persist in their
rebellion, it will change into the punishment of an angry God.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Ask the Lord to help you press on, to work through your struggles, to repent and
confess sin regularly and pick yourself up and keep moving towards Him.
