“Christians are called to be steady and stabilized people, rooted not simply in our own successes or abilities, but in the healing presence of Jesus Christ.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – January 7, 2023
So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Hebrews 10:35, NLT
We live in a fragile and chronically anxious society. Rarely do we encounter people who are rooted in themselves, or more importantly, rooted in something beyond themselves. And might it be that this is the source of our many ailments? We believe “self-fulfillment” to be a worthy aim to our lives and a pursuit to which we can wholeheartedly give ourselves. Yet this is nothing but an illusion, one that leaves us more anxious than when we first began. We as a society are lost at sea, tossed about by the winds of change, looking for something solid to which we can grasp, yet far too often it is only ourselves to which we can cling!
In the midst of this confusion, Christians are called to be steady and stabilized people, rooted not simply in our own successes or abilities, but in the healing presence of Jesus Christ.
As it says in Hebrews 10:35, we are meant to have a “confident trust in the Lord.” This is a trust that strengthens in the face of adversity and gives courage in times of great trial. For as Scripture and all of Christian history bear witness, we follow a crucified God who calls his followers to take up their own crosses (Matthew 16:24). We are not spared from the challenges and pain of this life, but are instead made substantial and able to walk this path with unshakable hope and trust in the mercy and goodness of God.
We find ourselves today at the beginning of a new year. One week is passed, and 51 lie before us. While we all may have made plans and goals for the days that lie ahead, in truth not a single one of us knows what this year will hold. You may be walking into a year of great blessings, including relational growth and intimacy, or perhaps professional success and financial gain. On the other hand, this year may force you to confront your deepest fears and navigate unexpected trauma or pain. Likely, life rarely categorizes so neatly, instead consisting of both joy and sorrow, delight and despair.
Whatever your year may bring, resolve in your heart and commit before the Lord in prayer to making this a year of confident trust, unwavering in your belief that Christ – not your success, your job, your education, or your natural abilities – is your hope, and this is “good news of great joy” (Luke 2:10).
Prayer
Father, whatever this year may bring, give us the confident trust that you are with us, and therefore we have nothing to fear, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Application
Read the whole of Hebrews 10 and ask the Lord to give you the same confident trust in him that these early saints of the Church so powerfully exhibited in their own day.
Related Reading
Isaiah 32:17; 2 Corinthians 12:9; Ephesians 3:12
Worship Resource
Phil Wickham: Living Hope
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