When partnering with your family to know, love, and follow Jesus, we strive to create and share content filtered by the Head-Heart-Hands model.
Head: the knowledge of God and His Word | Heart: the personal connection from scripture | Hands: a missional mindset
HEAD
(Hebrews 13: 6-8)
We’ve made it to the final chapter of Hebrews! This chapter reminds me of how goodbyes go at our house before my son heads off to my mom’s house for the weekend. I give him a very looooong list of things to remember (pack your underwear, brush your teeth, remember to bathe, mind your manners, take your vitamins…).
In Hebrews 13, the writer makes a list of things he doesn’t want Jesus Followers to forget to do (love others, show hospitality, remember those in prison and those who are mistreated, don’t love money, be content with what you have…). He also writes down two things he doesn’t want them to forget they already know —two things that (when we remember them) help us keep doing all the other things on his to-do list!
They are some of the most comforting words in the whole Bible. The writer reminds us, “…God Himself has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake (abandon) you.’” He says that God made us this promise, and He made good on this promise by giving us JESUS, Emmanuel (who’s name literally means, “God with us”) and by sending us The Helper —His Holy Spirit. The writer reminds us that because of this promise, we don’t have to worry about having enough or being enough, and we don’t have to live in fear of anyone or anything in this world.
The writer later adds that no matter what the world might tell us, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” God doesn’t change like shadows or seasons, so even when our circumstances change, the Good News that Jesus Christ loves us and is with us no matter what, NEVER changes —even when sad or bad or hard things happen.
HEART
Suffering—sad or bad or hard things that happen in life—never means that God has left us or that He’s mad at us. NEVER! (Not when we have an argument with a friend or lose a pet, when we fail to make the team or make the grade, when a parent loses a job or a family has to move, when people we love get sick or die, or if parents divorce.) God NEVER leaves us and He always loves us. The book of Hebrews says over and over again that we are made right with God the moment Jesus saves us and this means that suffering is NEVER God’s way of punishing us! This is Good News, and it doesn’t change! No matter what we go through.
So, even when things are difficult —God is still with you. He sees you and He cares about you. He is still strong. He is still good. He can even bring purpose from painful things.
We can trust God when hard things happen, and we can trust Him with those hard things. You see, when God allows hard things to happen in our lives, he can bring good from them! Just ask Paul —that guy experienced many hard things! He wrote this in Romans 8:28, “…in ALL things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”
HANDS
God’s love for you NEVER changes—His love is as solid as a rock! Sometime today, make yourself a reminder of this truth. Find a rock and get a permanent marker. On that solid, unchanging rock write “Hebrews 13:8” as a reminder of the Good News that even when things are hard, or my circumstances change, Jesus stays the same —He loves me and sticks with me, no matter what.
Prayer: Dear Jesus, I am thankful that You never change. No matter what I face, You are right here with me. Help me look for You in every situation I face. Help me trust You in all things.