Hebrews Chapter 4: Verse 2 (NIV)
For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed.
There are times in our lives when we may have a big decision to make and we may seek advice from someone that we love or trust to help us. Their advice may seem to us to be right and proper and confirm the direction that we should go, or the action that we should take. But if, for any reason we decide not to go that way, then we haven’t gained any benefit from their counsel. We have wasted their time, and ours. Maybe, as we saw in yesterday’s verse, we were just going through the motions.
We can do the same when it comes to the things of God. The first big decision we need to make is do we believe the Good News, that Jesus paid the penalty for our sin, and that believing and trusting in Him, and asking for forgiveness, gives us a fresh and new relationship with God, and eternal life. Its not enough to just believe it, we need to act on it too. We need to actively acknowledge our sins and turn away from the lifestyle we have been living. That’s where the faith comes in that the writer of Hebrews speaks of in this verse. We need to trust that its true and act accordingly. But that goes for all aspects of our life after we have taken those first steps of faith. If we believe that God loves us and will help us in every area of our life, we need to prove that by what we do and how we behave, especially when times are tough.
There’s no point in running around like a headless chicken at the first sign of trouble, trying to sort things out for ourselves. We need to run into God, through His word and in prayer. That’s where we get the benefit. And the more we do that, the stronger our faith becomes because God will never let us down. Let’s take those steps of faith to gain the benefit of the full life that God has planned for us.
Dear Lord,
Help me not just to hear and believe Your word, but to act on it too, so that I can walk in the fulness of the life that You have promised. I ask in Jesus’ Name. Amen.