Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - Kansas City, Missouri, United States - "God Is Just, Our Hope Is in Him" Wednesday, 14 January 2015 - Scripture: Hebrews 5: Warning against Turning Away11 Much more could be said about this subject. But it is hard to explain, and all of you are slow to understand. 12 By now you should have been teachers, but once again you need to be taught the simplest things about what God has said. You need milk instead of solid food. 13 People who live on milk are like babies who don’t really know what is right. 14 Solid food is for mature people who have been trained to know right from wrong.
6 We must try to become mature and start thinking about more than just the basic things we were taught about Christ. We shouldn’t need to keep talking about why we ought to turn from deeds that bring death and why we ought to have faith in God. 2 And we shouldn’t need to keep teaching about baptisms[a] or about the laying on of hands[b] or about people being raised from death and the future judgment. 3 Let’s grow up, if God is willing.
4-6 But what about people who turn away after they have already seen the light and have received the gift from heaven and have shared in the Holy Spirit? What about those who turn away after they have received the good message of God and the powers of the future world? There is no way to bring them back. What they are doing is the same as nailing the Son of God to a cross and insulting him in public!
7 A field is useful to farmers, if there is enough rain to make good crops grow. In fact, God will bless that field. 8 But land that produces only thornbushes is worthless. It is likely to fall under God’s curse, and in the end it will be set on fire.
9 My friends, we are talking this way. But we are sure that you are doing those really good things that people do when they are being saved. 10 God is always fair. He will remember how you helped his people in the past and how you are still helping them. You belong to God, and he won’t forget the love you have shown his people. 11 We wish that each of you would always be eager to show how strong and lasting your hope really is. 12 Then you would never be lazy. You would be following the example of those who had faith and were patient until God kept his promise to them.[Footnotes:
6.2 baptisms: Or “ceremonies of washing.”
6.2 laying on of hands: This was a ceremony in which church leaders and others put their hands on people to show that those people were chosen to do some special kind of work.]
"God Is Just, Our Hope Is in Him" by Paul Martin
Fidelia Fisk was a missionary to women in Persia. Her labors were heavy and she was weary. She needed rest. At a meeting as she sat on a mat, a national lady came behind her, and whispered, “Lean on me.” The missionary gave little attention. Again the whisper came, “Lean on me.” Gently Miss Fisk leaned on her unknown friend and servant. Then again the whisper, “If you love me, lean hard.” The exhausted missionary heard those words as from her heavenly Father, lovingly prompting, “If you love me, lean hard.”*
Life had been challenging for long months. There didn’t seem to be enough of this missionary. I couldn’t find the rhythms I needed to get my work done. I couldn’t seem to be the one I needed to be for those close to me. Spiritually I was dry and weary. Then these words sank into my spirit, “Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed; For I am thy God, I will still give thee aid” (From John Rippon’s Selection of Hymns, 1787).
“If you love me, lean hard,” whispered the faithful God, and hope was re-inspired![*Amos R. Wells, A Treasury of Hymn Stories: Brief Biographies of 120 Hymnwriters with Their Best Hymns, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1992, 41-42.]
Hymn for Today: "How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord" attributed to George Keith; by R. Keen (c. 1787)
1. How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
is laid for your faith in God's excellent Word!
What more can be said than to you God hath said,
to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?
2. "Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
for I am thy God, and will still give thee aid;
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.
3. "When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
the rivers of sorrow shall not overflow;
for I will be near thee, thy troubles to bless,
and sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.
4. "When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
my grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
the flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.
5. "The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
that soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I'll never, no, never, no, never forsake."
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