Stealing What is Eternal

Today's Reading: Hebrews 10

Scripture:

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful." Hebrews 10:23

Observation:

Life can get rough. Temptations, trials, failures, mistakes, lack of resources, frustrations, and on and on and on the list goes. All these things rise up and fight against believers experiencing peace. The writer of Hebrews calls his readers to hold fast to the confession of their hope, without wavering.

Application:

There are have been many times in my life that I have felt like God's word came back void to me. Unanswered prayers, trials that would not end, results that were unfavorable, and many other painful events over the course of my life have often made holding fast to my faith difficult. My perception of certain situations has left me confused and battered and as a result when I read a verse like this there is a part of me that is tempted to disconnect from it.

My problem is this, I pray over things but I pray my own agenda. I ask for guidance but only listen to answers that fit my logic. I ask for protection or deliverance, but I still flirt with the same risks and sins. I often try to hold fast to things that are not guaranteed. I grab hold of empty promises of peace and prosperity for my life on earth. God stops being a God and instead becomes a resource to help me succeed in life.

Prayer:

There is a lot that I will face today. I already know what is on my agenda. I can see the meetings already set on my calendar. I know the struggles that I will have, the risks I will have to take and the tiredness I will feel. Those things are very real to me and often times they become the center piece of all my prayers. They consume all my energy and my life can quickly become about their successful completion. I ask that You forgive me for placing my work ahead of you. I ask that you forgive me for allowing bad results in life to cause my faith to waver and turn my heart away from You.

Father You are so amazing. I know I should never lose sight of that but I do. Help me return today to simple, beautiful reminder that life on this earth does not matter outside of me pursuing Your purpose for me here. Help me fully understand the weight of all the sin that has been remove from me. Drive me deep into to joy that is my adoption by You as a son and the real, tangible, and intimate relationship I get to have with You. Everything in my life of any earthy consequence will pass away. Anything in my life that is about You expressing Your love to this earth will last for eternity. Guide me in how to live my life so that the temporary does not steal away the eternal.