Thursday, July 5, 2012

Stress-Reliever

Scripture Passage that Caught my attention today: Hebrews 2:1 Therefore we must pay greater attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it.

Observation: Times of stress are times when even greater attention to the work of Christ is necessary.

Application:
Whenever we are in times of stress it’s easy to get sucked into the view that now we must really ‘perform.’ We think that now we’ve got to somehow rise to the occasion, prove our point, conquer the given situation and the like. In times of stress we feel or place the pressure on US.

Sure, we might pray to God for help, asking God to help us make it through. But even that view has a subtle flaw—it neglects to take fully into account what God through Christ has already done!

The writer of Hebrews puts it bluntly and emphatically: “we MUST pay Greater attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it.”

What have we heard?

Paul said, “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2).

Jesus said, “before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58) as well as, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid” (John 14:27).

I could go on and on with such a list for Scripture is full of examples of the kinds of things to which, according to Hebrews, we are to pay greater attention—especially, it seems, in times of stress when we are prone to become rather self-absorbed.

Prayer: Lord, in the end, as in the beginning, there is you and only you to whom we can cling, depend, and live. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

(Reading today included: Hosea 2-5 and Hebrews 2)

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