EXPAND TO READ: HEBREWS 1 (HCSB)
PERSONAL JOURNAL:
SIN (verse 11b): I struggle with holding onto experiences, thoughts, and ways of living from my past, Father. Especially the ways I lived before coming to faith. Please forgive me for this, Father. Just like in the latter half of this verse, You say that “they will all wear out like clothing.” In reality, I struggle with getting rid of my old, tattered clothes, but I also struggle with doing the same with my old, tattered lifestyle. Help me to be better at learning from my old experiences, but not allowing them to define who I am in You, Father. Help me to be better at putting behind me my old ways and embracing the new ways that You show me.
PROMISE (verse 3): You make such an amazing promise about Your Son, Jesus, in this one verse. You promise us that He is an exact expression of Your nature and that through Him all of our sins have been purified. Thank You so much for giving us Your Son, Jesus. Without Him, we would all be lost, and I am so grateful that this life is just a little bit easier as a result of the sacrifices You and Him have made on our behalf. Thank You for the promise of Jesus to purify us of our sins, but also for the amazing radiance of Your glory He provides to us throughout His ministry while walking on this earth.
ATTITUDE (verse 9): There are so many attitudes in this one verse that I struggle with throughout my life since coming to faith, Father. Help me to be better at loving righteousness and hating lawlessness. I far too often appreciate the worldly way of doing things instead of Your ways and I need help with that, Father. Also, help me become better at experiencing and living in a spirit of joy as You mention here. I do struggle at times with embracing joy from You, but I am so appreciative that You have never given up on me. Thank You for guiding me and mentoring me through all things, even though I have lacked in many ways throughout my life, Father. Help me to be better at embracing, experiencing, and living in the anointing of joy that only You can provide to me, Father.
COMMAND (verse 9a): Although this verse is speaking to me as an attitude adjustment, I do also believe that it is a command from You. You tell us that “You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness.” I feel this is a command because we are made in Your image and should try our best to resemble and live in Your ways as much as possible. If You Yourself love righteousness and hate lawlessness, then I should take this as a command from You to live my life in the same way. Please help me to embrace righteous discernment, Father, so that I can truly discern the things in this life that align with Your will and the things that do not. Help me to be better at discerning what I should love versus what I should hate versus what I should just brush off and not feel any deep emotions towards.
EXAMPLE (verse 14): The question You ask in this last verse I feel is a powerful example of how we are to live our lives. Although You are speaking specifically about Your angels in Heaven, I believe, I can definitely see this applying directly to Your followers in this life on earth. You say that they are “ministering spirits sent out to serve those who are going to inherit salvation.” Shouldn’t this apply to Your servants (us) as well? Shouldn’t we be ministering to all those who are going to inherit salvation from You, but also to those who don’t know You, yet? Shouldn’t we be living our lives in a way that others are curious what’s so different about us, which should spark a conversation about You? Help me to be a better minister and example of Your kingdom and Your glory in this life, Father, so that I can minister effectively to those You want me to minister to.
*DAILY NOTE: I wasn’t sure what my next quiet time chapter would be this morning after finishing up Habakkuk yesterday. As I was scrolling through Your word to try and determine where my quiet time would be, I kept hearing and feeling Hebrews speaking to me. When I flipped over to Hebrews I am glad I actually listened to the Holy Spirit for my quiet time. This first chapter spoke loudly to me and I am grateful that I am slowly but surely becoming in-tune with Your great counsel towards me, Father. Thank You for guiding me to Hebrews. I am looking forward to what the rest of the book of Hebrews has in store for me in the coming weeks.
EXPAND TO READ: GENERAL NOTE FOR MY QUIET TIMES
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