Devotionals for February 9, 2024
We have a brand new sermon series this Sunday called "Milk & Honey" at 9:00am & 10:45am!
READ
Hebrews 12:7-11
7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?
8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.
9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?
10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.
11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?
8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.
9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?
10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.
11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
REFLECT
“In the end, I can say that behind all suffering is the movement of a good God working toward my redemption. What would it look like if we treated the sufferings of this life as evidence of the movement of God? What would happen to our church communities if we engaged with people in their sorrow, searching behind it for the movement of God, instead of fixating on the suffering itself? It is likely we would empower people. We would create communities of people who, though they suffer, bear their cross.”
“When watching a race, we cheer for the runner toward the finish line. We cry out, “Go! You can do it! You’re almost there! In the same way, all of heaven is cheering us along a race. The hosts of heaven are shouting at us to continue our labor, not for labor’s sake, but for completion of the race. In those cheers, another voice is heard: the voice of the champion who has run the race before us. It is His voice we hear as we strive toward heaven. And His voice gives us the power to finish the race.”
Castaneda, Alex. Little Sufferings: The Necessity of Suffering in the Christian Life (p. 137-138). Kindle Edition.
“When watching a race, we cheer for the runner toward the finish line. We cry out, “Go! You can do it! You’re almost there! In the same way, all of heaven is cheering us along a race. The hosts of heaven are shouting at us to continue our labor, not for labor’s sake, but for completion of the race. In those cheers, another voice is heard: the voice of the champion who has run the race before us. It is His voice we hear as we strive toward heaven. And His voice gives us the power to finish the race.”
Castaneda, Alex. Little Sufferings: The Necessity of Suffering in the Christian Life (p. 137-138). Kindle Edition.
APPLY
Q: What is the “peaceful fruit of righteousness?”
Q: Where in your life do you need this encouragement the most?
Q: How does this passage impact your encouragement of others?
Q: Where in your life do you need this encouragement the most?
Q: How does this passage impact your encouragement of others?
SING
PRAY
"And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one."
Lord, help us to finish the race well by fixing our eyes on you! Amen.
Lord, help us to finish the race well by fixing our eyes on you! Amen.