This past week I felt called to spend a day in solitude with God. I needed an entire day in silence and rest to focus on him alone. I was not sure exactly what to do so I spent a lot of the day in prayer and resting in His Presence. After awhile I felt the Lord place Hebrews on my heart. He wanted me to dive into Hebrews and see more clearly what He was speaking through that book. I read it through over three times and finally knew exactly what God was speaking to me. It is easy to set my eyes elsewhere through all the hustle and bustle of life in Africa. Like the children climbing all over me, the interesting taxi rides, playing soccer every evening (well watching soccer every evening), the men asking me to marry them, the delicious chocolate at Shoprite, the bottled Coke for 3 Kwacha across the street, the best Wi-Fi cafes, the culture differences, or the experiences my squad mates have each day. Through this amazing life I’m living I had begun to grow weary and disobedient in my faith. The little disciplines throughout the day began to fade away. I would hurry to finish my Bible reading so I could make potatoes and play Dutch Blitz with my teammates. I started to moan and groan when we had to go to church or worship. My prayers became short and sweet. My journaling and paintings was wrapped around the fun times I experienced instead of worshipping him. This weariness began to cause me to stumble. As I read through Hebrews I understood more about Christ being the highest priest. Therefore instead of leaving this great salvation, hold on by faith and rest in Christ to then persevere with endurance.
Through the first chapters I began to grasp what Jesus really did for us. His blood represents not only the forgiveness of my sins but a new covenant that is established to transform our inner self. Because he was obedient to God, he became the founder and perfecter of our faith. Jesus is the highest priest over any angel or the Mosaic law and now he sits at the right hand of the throne of God. Knowing this knowledge and truth I better understand the assurance of faith. As I look onto Jesus and the perfect faith He had during his time on earth, I am encouraged to walk through each day with faith like a grain of a mustard seed. Hebrews 12:1-2 says, “Therefore since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfector of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” When I dig through this passage I am reminded to be obedient in surrendering my sins and struggles to God as I continue to run my race of faith and above all looking at Jesus. Jesus is without blemish in the eyes of God. This passage blew my mind and it was no surprise the section was warning about growing weary. I had started to look onto the things visible in the world instead of having faith and knowing that the universe was created by the word of God. Through Hebrews God showed me all the ways I have grown disobedient and weary, however, reminding me that I am part of a Kingdom that cannot be shaken! Nothing on this earth could ever move the Kingdom of God let alone destroy it. The schemes of the devil will never cause the Kingdom of God. Even though my sins and weariness causes my faith to shake, The Kingdom I belong to will never fail to hold me up. With endurance I can hold onto faith to then persevere and encourage my brothers and sisters. He is no doubt a consuming fire. Holding fast to faith I am praying to continue to set my eyes on him throughout my remaining time in Africa.
“Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” –Hebrews 12:28-29
