Sometimes as followers of Jesus we lose sight of what’s in our grasp. We forget the solidity of the object of our trust. The writer of Hebrews reaches out and gives the faithful a good jostle:

Do you see what we’ve got? An unshakable kingdom! And do you see how thankful we must be? Not only thankful, but brimming with worship, deeply reverent before God. For God is not an indifferent bystander. He’s actively cleaning house, torching all that needs to burn, and he won’t quit until it’s all cleansed. God himself is Fire!

I love this message meant for the early church and still applicable for you and me—God is not an indifferent bystander. It’s tempting to think God is absent. But beyond our vision, in realms deeper and higher and more real than our world, the Lord consumes, torching evil and cleaning house.

The kingdom of God sweeps up all in opposition. It never decomposes or diminishes, but remains as solid as bedrock.

You and I can remain hopeful, worshipful, grateful and reverent, because nothing is as solid, or more trustworthy, than the Lord.

Hebrews 12 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Audric Wonkam

At times I read a passage from the Bible and I say to myself, that’s too good to forget. But then I forget it anyway.

I came across one such line recently, when God spoke to Moses and gave him a blessing to pass on to the priests of Israel. The priests then prayed the Lord’s grace over the people. Wonderfully, this blessing exists for us today:

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

Along with receiving this blessing, we have the privilege of passing this blessing on. Pray this blessing for friends and family. Encourage those who enter and leave your home with these words. Remember those who blessed you in the past with this graceful statement from the Lord.

I’m committed to putting this blessing into practice. I don’t plan to forget it for another year—it’s too powerful not to use.

Numbers 6 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Júlia Borges

Following the ways of Jesus gets long. The psalmist refers to the valley of the shadow of death for a reason, because we all face disheartening days. In such times it’s tempting to quit. Plus, in the cacophony of cancel culture keeping my head down feels safer when people accuse Christians of bigotry and harm.

But it pays to stick with the Lord. The early church in Rome faced waves of intense persecution. Authorities martyred both Peter and Paul during one span. But these church members were encouraged to hang tough:

Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering. Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.

So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.

God honors our commitment to him, whether we see it in this life or not. Don’t give up. Take one more step. If you quit, start again. Better and lasting possessions await each of us who stick with the Lord. Remember who is worthy of your confidence.

Keep the faith.

Hebrews 10 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Bernd 📷 Dittrich

In the Bible we read of those who came long before us and how they overcame obstacle after obstacle—by faith. By faith Abel…by faith Enoch…by faith Noah…by faith Abraham…by faith Sarah…by faith Moses…

Abraham moved to an unknown land, while Sarah longed for a baby her entire life. Unnamed others faced mistreatment, persecution, jeers and imprisonment—even to the point of being sawed in two. By faith they persevered.

None of these saints experienced the culmination of God’s work that later arrived with Jesus.These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

They hoped beyond this world. These ancestors knew there had to be more. They sensed a reality beyond their day to day. They were longing for a better country—a heavenly one.

At times I get the same feeling. This world appears burnt around the edges. Society crumbles. To think there must be a better place comes natural. I’m longing for a superior country, one that exists just beyond my reach. A land more vibrant and just and engaging and alive than anyone can imagine.

Our ancestors hoped for a Messiah arriving in a misty future. We trust in a Messiah emerging from a misty past, a Savior to lead us into a better country.

Hebrews 11 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by K. Mitch Hodge