“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12
The book by my bed looks rather tame—leather bound, lots of pages, and print which gets smaller each year. The golden gilded spine declares it a Holy Bible—words so sacred and serene they almost conceal the fact that, in fact, this book is a surgeon’s scalpel and a warrior’s sword. Surgery and sword fights are both bloody, but blood is the theme of the book. From garments of skin in the garden to Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, blood was shed so we could be saved. This story of redemption is not dead print but is alive with divine power. The words leap off the pages into our lives and create change, for “the word of God is living and active.”
When you open Scripture, you’re not just reading words; God is speaking His words to you. Verses, chapters, and books become an honest conversation with the Shepherd who seeks, the Father who loves, the Physician who knows. His words, “sharper than a double-edged sword,” slice through all pretense and expose the truth—about us and God. We shrink from the scalpel, but the cuts come because He cares. The wounds are because He wills us to be sanctified, set apart, cleansed from the malignancies of sin that make us sick. The sharp point of God's Word plunges into the deepest and darkest parts of who we are “dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and judging the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” The process might be painful, but the result will be peace.
This blade is not only used on us but also by us. “Take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”(Eph. 6:17). In our hand, with God’s help, the Word becomes a mighty weapon. By the sharpness of the sword, we defeat temptation, overcome discouragement, fight the good fight, and keep the faith(2 Tim. 4:7). God’s enemies cannot stand and will not win against His Word.
The Word is alive. It slices, dices, and delves, but it also transforms, assures, and redeems. No other book brings such comfort and conviction. No other book offers true hope and lasting help. Other books talk about life, but no other book is life.
The Holy Bible.
Learn it.
Live it.
Love it.
And let it make you wholly His.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Be A God Example
“Let us, therefore, make every effort…so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.” Hebrews 4:11
The oft-repeated story is worth repeating.
A man walks into the kitchen as his wife is hacking off the end of a just-bought rump roast and asks, “Why do you always cut off the end of a roast before you cook it?” Without hesitation she replies, “Because my mother always did.” Curious, the man calls his mother-in-law, asks the same question, and gets the same answer—“Because my mother always did.” Needing to know and not resting until he does, the man heads to the local nursing home, finds grandma, and asks, “Did you always cut off the end of a rump roast before you cooked it?” “Sure did,” she replies. “But why?” the man inquires. Grandma chuckles and responds, “Because my pan was too small to hold the whole thing!”
Roasts are one thing. Real life is another, but whether in the kitchen, at the office, or on the field, the people who look up to us are looking at us and living like us. “Let us, therefore, make every effort…so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.” Since much of life is learned by example, we need to be living well. The ones behind us and beside us are learning the same way we did from those before us and around us—by observation and imitation. We need to diligently endeavor (“make every effort”) for our actions and attitudes to be stepping stones not stumbling blocks. We’re not the only ones who get hurt when we fall; the ones tracking our steps often trip in the same spot. “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble”(I Cor. 10:31-32).
“Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ”(I Cor. 11:1).
Live so you can repeat the Apostle Paul’s phrase.
And mean it.
The oft-repeated story is worth repeating.
A man walks into the kitchen as his wife is hacking off the end of a just-bought rump roast and asks, “Why do you always cut off the end of a roast before you cook it?” Without hesitation she replies, “Because my mother always did.” Curious, the man calls his mother-in-law, asks the same question, and gets the same answer—“Because my mother always did.” Needing to know and not resting until he does, the man heads to the local nursing home, finds grandma, and asks, “Did you always cut off the end of a rump roast before you cooked it?” “Sure did,” she replies. “But why?” the man inquires. Grandma chuckles and responds, “Because my pan was too small to hold the whole thing!”
Roasts are one thing. Real life is another, but whether in the kitchen, at the office, or on the field, the people who look up to us are looking at us and living like us. “Let us, therefore, make every effort…so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.” Since much of life is learned by example, we need to be living well. The ones behind us and beside us are learning the same way we did from those before us and around us—by observation and imitation. We need to diligently endeavor (“make every effort”) for our actions and attitudes to be stepping stones not stumbling blocks. We’re not the only ones who get hurt when we fall; the ones tracking our steps often trip in the same spot. “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble”(I Cor. 10:31-32).
“Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ”(I Cor. 11:1).
Live so you can repeat the Apostle Paul’s phrase.
And mean it.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Don't and Do
“Encourage one another daily…so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” Hebrews 3:13
We rarely read warning labels. Most listed dangers seem so obvious that printing them in black and white borders on overkill. “Don’t blow-dry your hair in the bathtub,” and “Don’t ingest insecticide,” should go without saying, but, then again, so should, “Don’t harden your hearts if you hear God’s voice.” Yet we find this warning written not once but twice in Scripture—both in the Old Testament and the New. Psalm 95 calls us to come, sing, shout, and worship our great God and King, but then follows the summons to celebration with an instructional caution—a warning. “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah”(Ps. 95:8). Hebrews repeats the admonition with similar words, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion”(Heb. 3:8).
Just as most warnings are thus labeled because someone somewhere for some reason chose to do what shouldn’t have been done and incurred the ensuing consequences, so these verses have a corresponding story—and not of someone acting in ignorance but in insolence. The Israelites had barely shaken the dust of Egypt’s slavery off their sandals when their stomachs started rumbling and their hearts started grumbling. Sending ten plagues on their captors, splitting the Red Sea to save them and swallow their enemies, and showering manna from heaven for daily food in the desert weren’t enough to convince God’s chosen people that He was with them and for them. The moment they got thirsty, what was in their hearts came out of their mouths. They rebelled against God’s grace, and instead of trusting, they tested. Their refusal to believe God would meet their needs and later lead them to victory resulted in a forty year “‘Round the desert til the adults die off” camping trip. Tough stuff. But that’s what happens when our hearts get hard.
“See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” In spite of the piles of God’s goodness and grace we have experienced throughout our lives, sin quickly cons us into selfishness and causes us to miss God’s best. Our personal choices and the pressure of an unbelieving culture combine to make our hearts callous and hard to the tender voice of our Father. So how do we stay soft to God’s Spirit? Daily encouragement. “Encourage one another daily…so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”
Don’t go at it alone, and don’t leave others to themselves either. Every single day, by pen, phone, computer and in person encourage those around you in their faith. Share God’s Word. Share God’s ways. Talk about what He is doing in your life and find out what He is doing in theirs. Pray for them. Pray with them. And continually point them to Jesus.
Warning labels are written for a reason.
Read. Remember. And reach out to each other.
We rarely read warning labels. Most listed dangers seem so obvious that printing them in black and white borders on overkill. “Don’t blow-dry your hair in the bathtub,” and “Don’t ingest insecticide,” should go without saying, but, then again, so should, “Don’t harden your hearts if you hear God’s voice.” Yet we find this warning written not once but twice in Scripture—both in the Old Testament and the New. Psalm 95 calls us to come, sing, shout, and worship our great God and King, but then follows the summons to celebration with an instructional caution—a warning. “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah”(Ps. 95:8). Hebrews repeats the admonition with similar words, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion”(Heb. 3:8).
Just as most warnings are thus labeled because someone somewhere for some reason chose to do what shouldn’t have been done and incurred the ensuing consequences, so these verses have a corresponding story—and not of someone acting in ignorance but in insolence. The Israelites had barely shaken the dust of Egypt’s slavery off their sandals when their stomachs started rumbling and their hearts started grumbling. Sending ten plagues on their captors, splitting the Red Sea to save them and swallow their enemies, and showering manna from heaven for daily food in the desert weren’t enough to convince God’s chosen people that He was with them and for them. The moment they got thirsty, what was in their hearts came out of their mouths. They rebelled against God’s grace, and instead of trusting, they tested. Their refusal to believe God would meet their needs and later lead them to victory resulted in a forty year “‘Round the desert til the adults die off” camping trip. Tough stuff. But that’s what happens when our hearts get hard.
“See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” In spite of the piles of God’s goodness and grace we have experienced throughout our lives, sin quickly cons us into selfishness and causes us to miss God’s best. Our personal choices and the pressure of an unbelieving culture combine to make our hearts callous and hard to the tender voice of our Father. So how do we stay soft to God’s Spirit? Daily encouragement. “Encourage one another daily…so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”
Don’t go at it alone, and don’t leave others to themselves either. Every single day, by pen, phone, computer and in person encourage those around you in their faith. Share God’s Word. Share God’s ways. Talk about what He is doing in your life and find out what He is doing in theirs. Pray for them. Pray with them. And continually point them to Jesus.
Warning labels are written for a reason.
Read. Remember. And reach out to each other.
Tool Time
“Every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.” Hebrews 3:4
God built us to build. We started with blocks as babies and soon grew into Lincoln Logs and Tinker Toys. Sand piles were packed into sandcastles. Popsicle sticks were stacked into houses. Pillows became a fort, and a few chairs, a bed sheet, and a broom handle turned into a tent. A cabin in the woods was the next project for me and my siblings, but after felling several trees with a handsaw and constructing a bridge over the gulley, our enthusiasm waned and we settled for pine straw palaces. These days when I’m back at the homestead, my kids and their cousins stay busy building—clubhouses, hideouts, and an entire teepee town (complete with a bank for those needing to borrow funds) have been constructed.
When we build, we’re simply imitating our Maker, for “God is the builder of everything”(Hebrews 3:4). Galaxies, planets, and our own backyards were built by Him. All we can see was built by Him or out of stuff He has made. Both skyscrapers and sunsets remind us of His power and His provision, for “God is the builder of everything.”
Long after we put away our Lincoln Logs, we’re still busy building—careers, families, businesses, legacies, and reputations. Each day we awake at the construction site and reach for hard hats and hammers. Our words, actions, and attitudes are the raw materials God has given us to use for His glory, and He has unrolled the perfect plan. By grace, God has made us part of His ultimate building project—His church, His people, His family(Matt. 16:18), and He desires for all the structures of our lives to be built by obedient faith on the firm foundation of His word(Matt. 7:24-27).
Energy and effort spent building any other way is useless. “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain”(Ps. 127:1). Nothing goes up unless He allows it, and nothing stays up unless He is in it. Our own attempts at success and significance lie in rubble until God raises us up and builds something beautiful.
Right now Jesus is busy building our forever home in heaven (“In my Father’s house are many rooms…I am going there to prepare a place for you.” John 14:2), and through His Spirit and His children He is busy building His people here on earth. Be careful how you build and what you build. Don’t settle for pine straw palaces that will blow away in the wind. God wants to build what will last, and He’s the expert on hammers and nails.
God built us to build. We started with blocks as babies and soon grew into Lincoln Logs and Tinker Toys. Sand piles were packed into sandcastles. Popsicle sticks were stacked into houses. Pillows became a fort, and a few chairs, a bed sheet, and a broom handle turned into a tent. A cabin in the woods was the next project for me and my siblings, but after felling several trees with a handsaw and constructing a bridge over the gulley, our enthusiasm waned and we settled for pine straw palaces. These days when I’m back at the homestead, my kids and their cousins stay busy building—clubhouses, hideouts, and an entire teepee town (complete with a bank for those needing to borrow funds) have been constructed.
When we build, we’re simply imitating our Maker, for “God is the builder of everything”(Hebrews 3:4). Galaxies, planets, and our own backyards were built by Him. All we can see was built by Him or out of stuff He has made. Both skyscrapers and sunsets remind us of His power and His provision, for “God is the builder of everything.”
Long after we put away our Lincoln Logs, we’re still busy building—careers, families, businesses, legacies, and reputations. Each day we awake at the construction site and reach for hard hats and hammers. Our words, actions, and attitudes are the raw materials God has given us to use for His glory, and He has unrolled the perfect plan. By grace, God has made us part of His ultimate building project—His church, His people, His family(Matt. 16:18), and He desires for all the structures of our lives to be built by obedient faith on the firm foundation of His word(Matt. 7:24-27).
Energy and effort spent building any other way is useless. “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain”(Ps. 127:1). Nothing goes up unless He allows it, and nothing stays up unless He is in it. Our own attempts at success and significance lie in rubble until God raises us up and builds something beautiful.
Right now Jesus is busy building our forever home in heaven (“In my Father’s house are many rooms…I am going there to prepare a place for you.” John 14:2), and through His Spirit and His children He is busy building His people here on earth. Be careful how you build and what you build. Don’t settle for pine straw palaces that will blow away in the wind. God wants to build what will last, and He’s the expert on hammers and nails.
What Do You Think?
“Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess.” Hebrews 3:1
What do you think? What do you think about? If you’re like most, you answered, “Lots of things.” Our minds are often so crammed with plans, concerns, responsibilities, and ideas that they struggle to slow down enough at night for us to relax and sleep. If we’re awake, we’re thinking. It’s a sign of being alive. The philosopher Descartes stated, “I think, therefore I am,” but just because I’m thinking doesn’t therefore mean I’m thinking about the right things in the right way.
“Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess.” We’re going to think, and we ought to think about God. If we say we’re His with our mouths, (whom we confess), we should think about Him with our minds (fix your thoughts on Jesus). He’s made us holy, He’s made us family, and He should be the recurring theme of our thoughts.
This doesn’t mean that every thought you think has to only be about Jesus. For now, our “heavenly calling” is lived out on earth, and much in many realms must be considered and contemplated to do life well, but each thought can only be understood and evaluated properly when our ultimate focus is Jesus. He is the topic sentence in the paragraph of life, and all else we write with our actions and attitudes simply supports the subject. “How will this business transaction bring Him glory?” “How can my involvement in this organization show His grace?” “The grandkids are coming! Thank you, Jesus, for family!” “We’re out of milk! And cookies! How blessed I am, Jesus, to be able to stock up at the grocery. Please help the ones who are hungry.” And on and on. Since Jesus is life, none of our thoughts about life should be isolated to ourselves. All should converge at His reality.
“Fix your thoughts on Jesus.” Start by starting your day with a prayer of thanks and expectation. At each meal take a moment to consider His constant provision. As you move between responsibilities and opportunities, reflect on His guidance and grace in every area. And when your head hits the pillow, ponder that “the peace of God, which goes beyond all understanding, will guard you heart and your mind in Christ Jesus”(Phil. 4:7).
Many things cross our minds each day.
The cross should never leave it.
Above all else, before all else, in spite of all else, think about Jesus.
What do you think? What do you think about? If you’re like most, you answered, “Lots of things.” Our minds are often so crammed with plans, concerns, responsibilities, and ideas that they struggle to slow down enough at night for us to relax and sleep. If we’re awake, we’re thinking. It’s a sign of being alive. The philosopher Descartes stated, “I think, therefore I am,” but just because I’m thinking doesn’t therefore mean I’m thinking about the right things in the right way.
“Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess.” We’re going to think, and we ought to think about God. If we say we’re His with our mouths, (whom we confess), we should think about Him with our minds (fix your thoughts on Jesus). He’s made us holy, He’s made us family, and He should be the recurring theme of our thoughts.
This doesn’t mean that every thought you think has to only be about Jesus. For now, our “heavenly calling” is lived out on earth, and much in many realms must be considered and contemplated to do life well, but each thought can only be understood and evaluated properly when our ultimate focus is Jesus. He is the topic sentence in the paragraph of life, and all else we write with our actions and attitudes simply supports the subject. “How will this business transaction bring Him glory?” “How can my involvement in this organization show His grace?” “The grandkids are coming! Thank you, Jesus, for family!” “We’re out of milk! And cookies! How blessed I am, Jesus, to be able to stock up at the grocery. Please help the ones who are hungry.” And on and on. Since Jesus is life, none of our thoughts about life should be isolated to ourselves. All should converge at His reality.
“Fix your thoughts on Jesus.” Start by starting your day with a prayer of thanks and expectation. At each meal take a moment to consider His constant provision. As you move between responsibilities and opportunities, reflect on His guidance and grace in every area. And when your head hits the pillow, ponder that “the peace of God, which goes beyond all understanding, will guard you heart and your mind in Christ Jesus”(Phil. 4:7).
Many things cross our minds each day.
The cross should never leave it.
Above all else, before all else, in spite of all else, think about Jesus.
God Understands
“Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” Hebrews 2:18
“Stop breathing so fast! You’re panicking!” the doctor ordered and informed me during the delivery of my third child. In a brief moment of reprieve, I replied (nicely, I’m sure), “I’m not panicking! I’m in pain! You’ve helped deliver lots of babies, but you’ve never had one!”
Some things must be experienced to be understood. Childbirth is one. Temptation is another.
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are”(Heb. 4:15). What a relief! What a comfort! What a profound disclosure! God knows and God understands. He really, really does. He knows what it’s like to be tempted. He understands the struggle of sin. Jesus felt the lure of lust and the appeal of pride. He experienced the desire to be selfish and the enticement of power. His body yearned; His heart ached; His mind wondered and wanted to wander. If you’ve felt it, so has He. If you’ve been baited, so has He. He’s been through it all—the gentle tug, the burning attraction, and the constant coaxing. He’s heard it all—“You know this would feel good.” “Everyone deserves a little fun.” “Come on! Prove you’re really the man!”
And it wasn’t easy. “Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” Temptation is hard, and it was hard on Jesus. He endured temptation bigger and badder than we ever will, and it hurt. “Because he himself suffered when he was tempted…” Staying strong and saying no was painful, but Jesus can relate to our anguish because His agony was real. Because He hurt, He can help us. And He will. He knows we are weak, and though He did not sin, He understands. He gives strength(Ps. 20:2), provides a way out(1 Cor. 10:13), and offers grace when we fall(Heb. 4:16).
And lest you think the scope of God’s empathy extends only to being tempted, not to the guilt of giving in, remember the cross. “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities”(Is. 53:5). Jesus has experienced the pain of consequences and the sorrow of sin in an extreme and unfathomable way which, praise God, we will never have to face. Jesus knows. Jesus understands. And Jesus will help.
He’s been there and done that.
And He did it for you.
“Stop breathing so fast! You’re panicking!” the doctor ordered and informed me during the delivery of my third child. In a brief moment of reprieve, I replied (nicely, I’m sure), “I’m not panicking! I’m in pain! You’ve helped deliver lots of babies, but you’ve never had one!”
Some things must be experienced to be understood. Childbirth is one. Temptation is another.
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are”(Heb. 4:15). What a relief! What a comfort! What a profound disclosure! God knows and God understands. He really, really does. He knows what it’s like to be tempted. He understands the struggle of sin. Jesus felt the lure of lust and the appeal of pride. He experienced the desire to be selfish and the enticement of power. His body yearned; His heart ached; His mind wondered and wanted to wander. If you’ve felt it, so has He. If you’ve been baited, so has He. He’s been through it all—the gentle tug, the burning attraction, and the constant coaxing. He’s heard it all—“You know this would feel good.” “Everyone deserves a little fun.” “Come on! Prove you’re really the man!”
And it wasn’t easy. “Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” Temptation is hard, and it was hard on Jesus. He endured temptation bigger and badder than we ever will, and it hurt. “Because he himself suffered when he was tempted…” Staying strong and saying no was painful, but Jesus can relate to our anguish because His agony was real. Because He hurt, He can help us. And He will. He knows we are weak, and though He did not sin, He understands. He gives strength(Ps. 20:2), provides a way out(1 Cor. 10:13), and offers grace when we fall(Heb. 4:16).
And lest you think the scope of God’s empathy extends only to being tempted, not to the guilt of giving in, remember the cross. “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities”(Is. 53:5). Jesus has experienced the pain of consequences and the sorrow of sin in an extreme and unfathomable way which, praise God, we will never have to face. Jesus knows. Jesus understands. And Jesus will help.
He’s been there and done that.
And He did it for you.
Pay Attention
“We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so we do not drift away.” Hebrews 2:1
“Pay attention!” How many times have we heard that line? Seems to be a favorite of elementary teachers, parents of teenage drivers, and God—not necessarily in that order. Each has something important to say, but the price of disobedience grows increasingly costly—flunk your test on dividing fractions, get a ticket for speeding, or miss out on God’s plan for your life.
“We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so we do not drift away.” This admonition comes not to those who don’t know the Lord but to those who have grabbed hold of God’s grace. Our faith came by hearing the word of God(Rom10:17), and our effectiveness comes by continuing to listen. Paying close attention is more than not snoozing during Sunday’s sermon. It is perking up both our ears and our hearts each day of the week to what God has said.
“I’d love to listen more carefully and consistently, but my schedule’s already stuffed,” you sincerely offer as an excuse. Consider this: there will never be enough time to do everything everyone (including you) wants you to do, but there will always be enough time to do what God wants you to do. And He wants you to “pay more careful attention” to His Word.
If you don’t, you’ll drop your paddle and drift—drift away from the flow of God’s will into the undertow of the world where you will end up off-course, marooned, and shipwrecked. Yes, those are serious penalties, but if we don’t pay attention, we will pay the consequences. “For if the message spoken by angels[God’s Old Testament Law] was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?”(Heb. 2:2-3). God Himself has spoken a message of grace and redemption in Jesus, and as His own, we should not disregard His words, even for a day. His “word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart”(Rom. 10:8), so consider it closely and carefully.
Drift is much more unintentional than deliberate. It comes not from doing something but from doing nothing. “Such a great salvation” and such a great Savior deserve our efforts to engage and absorb what God has said. The phrase, “Pay more careful attention,” implies that doing so is not free, but the price of an adjusted agenda or shifted priorities is more than worth the cost. Drifting is effortless and easy compared to rowing in God’s flow, but the living the journey in God’s current is incomparable.
Don’t drop your paddle.
Pay attention.
“Pay attention!” How many times have we heard that line? Seems to be a favorite of elementary teachers, parents of teenage drivers, and God—not necessarily in that order. Each has something important to say, but the price of disobedience grows increasingly costly—flunk your test on dividing fractions, get a ticket for speeding, or miss out on God’s plan for your life.
“We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so we do not drift away.” This admonition comes not to those who don’t know the Lord but to those who have grabbed hold of God’s grace. Our faith came by hearing the word of God(Rom10:17), and our effectiveness comes by continuing to listen. Paying close attention is more than not snoozing during Sunday’s sermon. It is perking up both our ears and our hearts each day of the week to what God has said.
“I’d love to listen more carefully and consistently, but my schedule’s already stuffed,” you sincerely offer as an excuse. Consider this: there will never be enough time to do everything everyone (including you) wants you to do, but there will always be enough time to do what God wants you to do. And He wants you to “pay more careful attention” to His Word.
If you don’t, you’ll drop your paddle and drift—drift away from the flow of God’s will into the undertow of the world where you will end up off-course, marooned, and shipwrecked. Yes, those are serious penalties, but if we don’t pay attention, we will pay the consequences. “For if the message spoken by angels[God’s Old Testament Law] was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?”(Heb. 2:2-3). God Himself has spoken a message of grace and redemption in Jesus, and as His own, we should not disregard His words, even for a day. His “word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart”(Rom. 10:8), so consider it closely and carefully.
Drift is much more unintentional than deliberate. It comes not from doing something but from doing nothing. “Such a great salvation” and such a great Savior deserve our efforts to engage and absorb what God has said. The phrase, “Pay more careful attention,” implies that doing so is not free, but the price of an adjusted agenda or shifted priorities is more than worth the cost. Drifting is effortless and easy compared to rowing in God’s flow, but the living the journey in God’s current is incomparable.
Don’t drop your paddle.
Pay attention.
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