Verse: Hebrews 13:7
Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.
Devotion
For today’s devotional, it’s based on only one verse. That’s because this is important. We’re at the end of Hebrews and we’re being left with Paul’s final, most important thoughts to the Hebrews. This letter was written to believers as his final encouragement to them to continue in their faith and to not be led astray.
I don’t know about you, but I can connect with that right now. We’re surrounded by a culture that the enemy is using to try to pull us away from the redeeming work of Jesus. Back in chapter 10, Paul mentioned that believers are being pulled away from the church due to their afflictions and returning to the safety of the Jewish synagogue. Can you connect that to anything in our culture? Does it feel safer to go with the flow instead of standing out as different?
I can think of so many times in my life in which I wanted to retreat into the safety of the world instead of standing strong in my faith. Friends, it is hard to look different. It’s hard to stand up when everyone else is sitting down. Jesus knew this, and Paul knew this.
That’s why he leaves us this verse, choosing it to be so important that it is in his final remarks in his letter to the Hebrews. He’s acknowledging that he knows it’s hard. But, we are not alone. Look to our leaders. Look to those people around you who have stood strong in their faith. Those who decided to look different. Those who stood up instead of sitting down. What is different about them? Why are you drawn to them? Do you see the way they reflect Jesus in their actions?
Paul urges us to consider the outcome of their lives. That makes me think of the people who surrounded me as I was coming to faith. The people that taught me, talked with me, prayed with me, and encouraged me in my walk. They were a light when I was in a dark place. When I consider their lives, I see that instead of drawing away when “safety” was alluring, they drew nearer to the Lord. They clung to His promises and the true safety of being wrapped in His love and redemption. Their lives were a beacon of hope, they were used as a vessel to further the Gospel. This is the outcome of their lives that Paul is speaking of.
Friend, don’t you want to be that for someone else? Think if that person, or people, for you. What would it look like for you to imitate them? Would you spend more time in prayer? More time in the Word? More time serving? More time worshipping? Whatever it is, it should be something that draws you nearer to our Savior. That is one of Paul’s final encouragements to us. Find the people in your life who bring hope, joy and light. Rally around them. Make them your tribe. When things are tough, lean into their relationship with the Lord. Be encouraged by their walk with Him. Imitate their actions when things get hard. Draw nearer to Him instead of shying away. Do not do this walk of faith alone.
We’re surrounded by our community of believers to be encouraged, to do life with others, and to cheer one another on as things get hard. If you don’t have a tribe to look to, I encourage you to go out on a limb. Show up. Join a small group. Go to church. Sit with new people. Have the hard conversation. Reach out to leaders in our church. Ask questions. I promise you, if it was important enough for Paul to leave us with in closing thoughts, if it was important enough for the Holy Spirit to impress upon us, it’s important enough to try, even when it’s hard.
Prayer:
Lord, thank you for the sweet reminder that we are not alone. Thank you for placing people in our lives to encourage us in our faith. Thank you for drawing those people near to you so we might have people we can imitate. Thank you for the true safety in drawing nearer to you and leaning into the hope, joy, and redeeming life You bought with Your blood. Help me to see the enemy’s lies when he tries to allure me away with false senses of safety. Holy Spirit, guide me in the ways in which you call me to stand up and look different. Lead me to the community of people that I can depend on and imitate. Encourage my heart Lord. Fill me with the peace of knowing that You are with me. Thank you Jesus. Amen
Author: Becca Artymenko
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