Tag: Hebrews 12:1-2

Search Me, O God

Barefoot and sun-kissed, we crowded onto the couches and floors in the houseboat’s tiny front room. Sitting on faded linoleum as someone strummed a guitar, I joined the heartfelt voices of my fellow camp counselors worshiping the Lord. A growing understanding of God’s holiness had transformed the way I praised Him during those pure and powerful worship sessions.

I had arrived at Houseboats a few weeks earlier and was glad to be serving at a Christian camp instead of joining my friends for graduation festivities in Mexico. I’d been stretched and humbled but had also experienced deep joy in ways I hadn’t anticipated. Praising God for His transcendent attributes and meditating on His character gave me a clearer perspective of His worthiness and my weakness. Awestruck by His perfection and holiness, a surprising awareness of my own sinfulness also came to light. I knew I needed to confess it and come clean before Him. Like David in Psalm 139:19-22, I was beginning to recoil from sin as I understood how much the Lord hates it. 

My experience was personal, but not unique. Through the prompting and conviction of the Holy Spirit, many believers pray as David did: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way.” (Psalm 139, 23-24, CSB) 

After accepting Christ, we are cleansed by His blood and receive eternal salvation, but we still struggle with sin. So, we need to examine our hearts and actions consistently and confess where we’ve fallen short of His standards. The prophet Isaiah explains how sin hinders our communication with God: “Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.” (Isaiah 59:1-2, NIV) 

David expresses an understanding of this in Psalm 51: “Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” (Psalm 51:9-12, NIV)

Responding to the Lord’s loving forgiveness, we then repent and allow Him to transform our thoughts, attitudes, and actions once again. We turn back towards God and away from whatever dishonors Him; repentance is about surrender—welcoming the conviction of the Holy Spirit and seeking God’s help to do things differently.

With that in mind, let’s consider several reasons we’d be wise to let the Lord search our hearts and shine light on unconfessed sin. 

–Unconfessed sin is a burden that weighs us down:  In another psalm, David says, “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me, my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.’ And you forgave the guilt of my sin.” (Psalm 32:3-7, NIV)

Guilt warns us we’ve done something wrong, but when feeling guilty becomes a a permanent state of mind, that’s condemnation–which isn’t from God. Jesus was condemned to die on the cross to pay for our guilt! Instead, the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin so that we can confess it and be restored to close connection with the Lord. Here are a few differences between guilt that leads to condemnation and holy conviction that leads to restoration:

CondemnationConviction
Comes from the enemyComes from the Holy Spirit
Points us back to ourselvesPoints us back to God
Causes shame, regret & self-loathingCauses humility, repentance & change
Causes us to dwell on failuresCauses remorse for sin
Leads us to feel helpless & hopelessLeads us to spiritual maturity

–Unconfessed sin hinders us from growing spiritually: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:1-2, NIV, italics added) It’s a struggle to move forward in our faith and accomplish God’s will and plans when we’re entangled by sin. It holds us back from experiencing deep, intimate fellowship with God. It also dulls our spiritual senses, weakens our ability to persevere, and takes our eyes off Jesus.

–Unconfessed sin limits opportunities to be used by God and steals our joy: David offered these wise words for his son, Solomon, shortly before his death: “I am about to go the way of all the earth…So be strong, act like a man, and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go.’“ (1 Kings 2:1-3, NIV italics added)

Jesus also emphasizes how obedience enables closeness to God when He says, “If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” (John 15:10-11, NIV, italics added)

Paul elaborates further: “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness… Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” (Ephesians 4:22-24 5:15-17, NIV, italics added)

Although confession and repentance may feel difficult, or even scary at times, Scripture explains the benefits: “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” (Acts 3:19, NIV, italics added) 

Consider inviting God to search your heart today. Let adoration of Him lead you to confess sins that are keeping you from becoming the person He’s made you to be. Experience refreshment and joy by removing any barriers to connection with Him

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Inspired by When You Pray: A Study of Six Prayers in the Bible, Session 4, Kelly Minter, Jackie Hill Perry, Jen Wilkin, Jennifer Rothschild, Jada Edwards, Kristi McClelland, Lifeway Press, 2023.

Naming Shame

She’d been divorced by five different men and left alone and vulnerable in a patriarchal culture. The man she was with at the moment made no promises of lasting commitment. People likely speculated about why she couldn’t keep a husband, if they didn’t already know the reason. Ashamed, she avoided joining the other women drawing water from the well in the cool of the morning or the waning heat of the evening. Instead, she trudged there at noon, lugging her water jar alone with the sun beating down on her back and sweat beading on her brow. Looking up one day, she squinted and rubbed her eyes as the outline of a man seated at the well came into view. 

In the moments that followed, this Samaritan woman who’d lived under a cloud of shame met a man who changed everything. “He told her, ‘Go, call your husband and come back.’ ‘I have no husband,’ she replied. Jesus said to her, ‘You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true… The woman said, ‘I know that Messiah’ (called Christ) ‘is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.’ Then Jesus declared, ‘I, the one speaking to you—I am he.’” (John 4:17-18, 25-26, NIV)

Jesus saw the woman’s shame, named it, and then revealed Himself as the long-awaited Savior of the world. “He reached all the way into her story, saw into her soul, and likely named the hardest and most shameful thing she had ever lived through. He entered into her world with compassion and empathy.”1 Kristi McClellan then turns this story to make it personal. She says “Jesus seeks to enter into your world with compassion and empathy too. Ordinary days become extraordinary when you let Jesus in to generously lift you up.”2

Shame. It’s not a topic we like to discuss. Author, psychologist, and speaker Dr. Curt Thompson sheds light on why we avoid admitting we feel it. He explains that shame becomes part of our identity, instead of thinking we’ve done something bad or wrong, we think, “I am bad and wrong.” Thompson says that shame causes people to turn away from God and others. It cuts us off internally and externally. Shame goads us to cower in the dark, berating ourselves instead of seeking healing and hope through connecting with God and others.

 Isn’t that what we see with the woman at the well as Jesus engages her in conversation? She moves from being alone and isolated to being seen and loved. In response, she shares her amazement with the community that shunned her: “Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, ‘Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?’  They came out of the town and made their way toward him.” (John 4:28-30, NIV)

Once Jesus brings her shame to light, He frees her from it. And He can do the same for us. Using Scripture as our guide, Dr. Curt Thompson explains how we can name our shame and break free of its hold on us.3 Using his insights, let’s look at Hebrews 12:1 & 2 to understand the process: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”

-A Cloud of Witnesses: Shame makes us believe we have to fix ourselves before we can let God or others know us. But Jesus accepts us right where we are and then moves us out of our shame, just as He did with the woman at the well. We need others to tell us what’s true about who we are. Who are the people bearing witness to your life and speaking truth to you? 

-Throwing Off Sin that Entangles: The enemy tries to trip us up and undermine our attempts to make wise and God-honoring choices. He uses our sins and the sins of others as tools to shame us. Recognizing this is the first step toward breaking their hold on you. Are sin and shame currently entangling you? Will you ask Jesus to help you cast them aside so you can walk freely with Him? 

-Run with Perseverance: Being vulnerable and honest isn’t easy. If it’s a struggle for you, start by practicing it in small moments. Be honest with yourself about the shame you feel and what’s causing it. Then seek a safe person with whom you can share it–whether it’s a wise friend or a trained counselor. Being vulnerable might feel awkward and uncomfortable, but with practice, you’ll begin to enjoy the freedom of being honest with yourself, others, and God. Who can you invite to help you persevere?

-Fixing Our Eyes on Jesus: As we look to Jesus, we’ll discover He’s been looking at us and waiting patiently for us to notice. Once we’re released from the weight of shame, we’re postured to receive His gentle healing. Then we can look outward to encourage others who also need to hear His message of hope, love, and truth. This is what He did with the woman at the well. And He’s willing to do it for you too, whenever you’re ready.

Being vulnerable and open doesn’t come naturally to me, so I empathize if these ideas scare you. I still remember the first time I admitted my shame to someone aloud. It was on the roof of a houseboat at a summer camp I worked at after high school graduation. I’d applied to serve there for the fun of being in Christian community, meeting new friends, and having easy access to waterskiing. What I hadn’t anticipated was being convicted that the double life I’d been leading was preventing my spiritual growth. The other leaders there had a passion for Jesus that I lacked. Feeling like a fraud, I admitted my struggles with sin and acknowledged my shame to a fellow staff member. Rather than chastising or condemning me, my new friend received what I shared with compassion and kindness. Jesus used him to speak truth and love to me in a way I’d never experienced. He was the first witness who helped me to see that vulnerably naming my shame was the beginning of being transformed by God and finding true freedom in Christ. (In fact, the bond between us grew so strong that we got married a few years later.)

Will you risk being vulnerable and naming your shame so you can throw off the entanglement of sin and fix your eyes on Jesus? If this feels terrifying, pray and ask the Lord to bring you a safe person who can listen and love you well. This is a heavy topic you may need to explore further with additional resources listed below. Don’t let shame isolate you any longer. 

Let Olivia Lane’s song “Woman at the Well” inspire you and give you courage today. Click here to listen.

  • 1. Kristi McClelland, Jesus and Women in the First Century and Now, Lifeway Press, 2019, 62.
  • 2. ibid
  • 3. Dr. Curt Thompson, IF:Lead 2019 breakout session notes. For more resources on shame from Dr. Thompson, click here.

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Judah’s Blessing

For the past few months we’ve walked closely with Joseph through Genesis 37-50 and have seen many examples God’s faithfulness. Now, as the end of the story comes into view, we’re beginning to notice many threads of the Lord’s redemptive plan weaving together. Today we’ll take a closer look at a prophetic blessing Jacob gave at the end of his life that still has relevance for us today.

As the favorite son of Jacob, we would expect Joseph to receive the most important blessing. So, it’s surprising to discover that instead, Jacob reserved the most significant blessing for one of Joseph’s older brothers:

“Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons will bow down to you. You are a lion’s cub, Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness—who dares to rouse him? The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his.” (Genesis 49:8-10, NIV)

Despite being Jacob’s fourth son, Judah received the distinct honor of being the one through whom God’s blessing would continue. Jacob prophesied that the mantle of lordship and power, symbolized by the scepter, would remain in Judah’s family line until “he to whom it belongs” came. He was talking about the Messiah.

Kelly Minter explains, “If I had written the story, no doubt I would have chosen for the Messiah to come through Joseph’s line instead of Judah’s. But God’s grace is on full display here. God sent a Savior through those and to those who don’t deserve it. And He raised up Joseph to save a nation, a foreshadowing of Jesus’ ultimate salvation…The One to whom the kingdom belongs has come. His name is Jesus. He will come again, and all nations will be obedient to Him.” (page 192) Let’s take a moment to unpack this amazing truth together.

The promise of the Messiah whom Jacob describes began with Adam and Eve. We see this when God said that Eve’s offspring would one day crush the head of the serpent, Satan (see Genesis 3:14). The promise continues with Abraham when the Lord says his offspring will be a blessing to all people on earth (see Genesis 12:3). With Abraham’s great-grandson, Judah, we see the Messiah symbolized as a strong lion that will ultimately command the obedience of the nations.

The name “Lion of Judah” next appears in Revelation, the last book of the Bible. In this yet-to-be fulfilled prophesy, the writer, John, describes the Messiah as both a lion and a lamb. In his vision of the heavenly throne room, John sees a scroll in the “right hand of him who was seated on the throne.” He begins to despair because there is no one found worthy to approach the hand of God to take and open the scroll. Others in the vision provide hope to John:

“Then one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals… He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. And they sang a new song, saying: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.’” (Revelation 5:5, 7-9, NIV)

John describes how Jesus, the Messiah, fulfills the prophecies made thousands of years earlier. As the sacrificial lamb, He washes away the stain of sin through His death on the cross, crushing the serpent’s head and claiming His ultimate victory over death. At the same time, Jesus blesses all people on earth by making salvation from sin possible for them. As the lion, He represents the conquering King who will return one day to slay the enemies of God.

Remember the last sentence of Jacob’s blessing for Judah? He says Judah’s family line will rule until One came who would command the obedience of the nations. Now, read this verse from Revelation:

“Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: ‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!’” (Revelation 5:13, NIV)

John’s prophesy mirrors Jacob’s—both show that a day will come when the whole earth will have no choice but to bow down and worship at the feet of the Lion of Judah: Jesus.

Stepping back to view the bigger picture gives us deeper understanding of God’s greatness and shows how His perfect plan unfolds in His impeccable timing. Pause for a moment and be amazed by our Savior. The seamlessness of the Bible leaves me in awe. Jesus is woven throughout the pages, from Genesis to Revelation.

So, what’s the appropriate response to this good news? Scripture urges us to join with the many witnesses of God’s faithfulness who have gone before us—people we’ve been studying in Genesis like Jacob and Joseph who are also mentioned in the “Hall of Faith” in Hebrews 11. As we remember their stories displaying God’s faithfulness, we choose to “strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up” and “run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.” (Hebrews 12:1-2, NLT)

As Christ’s followers, we can marvel at the finished work of the cross and celebrate the riches we have in Him. Every day is a new opportunity to run with our gaze fixed on Jesus, to honor Him through the way we live, and to be filled with hope as we await His eventual return.

Revel in God’s redemptive plan that threads from Genesis to Revelation by enjoying “The Lion and the Lamb” by Big Daddy Weave.

Kelly Minter, Finding God Faithful: A Study on the Life of Joseph, Lifeway Press, 2019.

*Some material for this blog came from: http://www.gotquestions.org/Lion-and-the-Lamb.html

Lion drawing by Brooke McCullum

Depositing God’s Truth in Your Spiritual Bank

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Recently at our Focused Living Bible Study we had the privilege of hearing from three women in three different life stages.  They all shared specifics about how they’ve seen God take them “Deeper Still” in their relationships with Him.   All three had fantastic messages to share and we were blessed by their authenticity and candor.   It just so happens that the last woman to share was my mom.  During her talk she highlighted how much she values studying the Bible to keep aligned with God’s truth.  She told us that she started formally studying the Bible in 1974 and has continued ever since in a variety of different classes and groups.  My mom admonished us to see studying God’s word as an opportunity to make deposits in our “spiritual banks,” pointing out that truths we learn now can sustain us in the years to come.  Isaiah 55:10-11 says pretty much the same thing:

“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
and do not return to it without watering the earth 
and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth:  It will not return to me empty,
 but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

Our Bible study is wrapping up another challenging and inspiring study, but before I add my workbook from Faithful, Abundant, True:  Three Lives Going Deeper Still to the growing collection on my shelf, I’d like to reflect on what I’ve learned.  Spending time looking back is an opportunity to make a deposit in our “spiritual banks.”  Writing down the truths we’ve learned will bless us in the years to come and imprint them more deeply into our memories. 

Truths Taught by Kay Arthur

-Don’t Shrink Back

Kay taught us about God’s faithfulness and encouraged us to make time for God’s word and to keep from entangling ourselves in the affairs of the world.  Referring often to the book of Hebrews, she reminded us not to “shrink back” and to continue growing deeper with God.

Hebrews 10:35-39  “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.  You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For, ‘In just a little while, he who is coming will come
 and will not delay.’  And, ‘But my righteous one will live by faith.  And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.’  But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.”

-Handle God’s Word Correctly

Kay reminded us of the value of God’s word and the importance of learning to use and handle it correctly.  She pointed out that studying the Bible is not just about getting us through our issues, but changing us from the inside out.

2 Timothy 2:15  “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”

2 Timothy 3:16-17  “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

-Abandon Unbelief to Find the Rest of Faith

Kay also taught is that having faith means resting in the word of God.  We cannot have the rest of faith if we have unbelief in our lives.  If we truly believe God can do what He says, then we will trust Him and find rest, unlike the Israelites who doomed themselves to wandering in the desert for forty years because of their unbelief.

Hebrews 3:16-19 & 4:1-2  “Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness? And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.  Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. 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.”

Truths Taught By Priscilla Shirer

-God Is Able

Priscilla Shirer showed us that God is able to surprise us in the midst of our impossible situations.  She encouraged us to remember that knowing Who we’re dealing with changes the way we pray.  When we pray, we can be confident knowing God has the power to do what we ask.  She also encouraged us to pray: “God, do this, or do something better!”

Ephesians 3:20-21  “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”

-An Abundant Life is Not Free of Difficulty

Priscilla reminded us that God’s abundance is not about experiencing peace because of our circumstances, but in spite of them.  We can experience the fullness of God even in the midst of our impossible situations.  He is the only dependable constant in our lives in a world that is ever changing.

2 Corinthians 12:7-10  “Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.  Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.  But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

-Don’t Just Learn About God; Believe His Word is True for You Personally

Priscilla pointed out the importance of translating the head knowledge we gain from studying God’s word into heart knowledge that causes true life-transformation.

Hebrews 12:1-2  “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Truths Taught By Beth Moore

-We Must Activate the Mind of Christ

Beth emphasized that anyone who accepts Christ has the ability to have the mind of Christ.    She says,  “Our challenge is to learn how to activate His mind in our thought processes regarding the reality of our experience.” (p.108)

1 Corinthians 2:15-16  “The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for,  ‘Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?’  But we have the mind of Christ.”

-Discernment Doesn’t Happen By Accident

When the Holy Spirit resides within us, we possess the potential for great discernment, but it is like a muscle that must be exercised to grow stronger.  We grow in our discernment through “prayer, pursuit and practice.”  (110)

Hebrews 5:13-14  “Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”

-God’s Spirit Fills Us to the Extent We are Willing to Yield

God will only take us as far as we are willing to let Him go on our spiritual journeys.  Without obedience to Him, we prevent ongoing growth from occurring.

John 14:15-16  “If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”

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That is quite a bit of truth to absorb in six weeks of study!  I feel like I just made a huge deposit in my “spiritual bank.”  How about you?  What truths do you want to savor and remember before you move on to the next study?  If you’re not attender of Focused Living, what things are you learning right now that you want to remember later?  Make a comment below and share with us (click on “leave a comment” at the top of this post and the comment field will appear at the bottom of the post).  You can also make a comment on Facebook if you prefer.

I’ll close by making Paul’s prayer for the Philippians in 1:9-11 my prayer for you:

“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.” 

Click on the blue sign below that says “Watch Vimeo”  to see the “Deeper Still” testimonies of the three women at Focused Living.