Hebrews 5 and Trusting God

Hebrews 5

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Verse 7

"⁷While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God."

How often do I pray like this? Not often enough. Jesus really meant His prayers and put everything into them. I tend to hold myself back in my prayer life. I need to give everything I have to God!

God listened to Jesus, because He maintained a deep reverence for God.

Reverence (noun)

1. a feeling or attitude of deep respect tinged with awe

2. the outward manifestation of this feeling

3. a gesture indicative of deep respect

Jesus displayed all of these. Not only did He have respect and awe for God, but He showed it. I must continually give glory to God. Something as simple as bowing while speaking to God shows respect and reverence. I need to remember my place before God... He is above me, not the other way around; Nor are we equals.

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Today I had a little lesson in trusting God. Often when I have a problem arise, I pray about it, but I don't give it completely to God. I still stress and worry about it, even though I have asked God to help me. This shows a lack of trust in Him. When I do this, I'm basically saying, "God, will you help me? ...I know you say you will, but I don't really believe you will solve it for me, so I'll just keep on stressing about it." I really need to learn to go to God (whole-heartedly!) and then trust Him! He has never failed me in the past, so why do I think He would now? Anyways, today I was really struggling with something, and I prayed to God about it. Then I told myself that I need to actually trust God, and let the worry go. After that, I knew that I needed to take action, and I was able to do so with a calm attitude, thanks to God. I knew in my heart that God would take care of my problem, if I would only allow Him to. So end of story, I was able to take the steps to work out my problem, and all is good now! It's amazing what can happen when I trust God!

It's also important for me to remember that God has His own timeline and way of making things work out. If I pray to God about something, and it doesn't get solved or answered the way I want, that doesn't mean that God isn't listening to me. He is probably just answering my prayers in another way than what I have set in my mind. If I would have an open mind about it, I may be able to see more clearly what God is doing. Afterall, He knows what I need better than I do.

Hebrews 2-4

Hebrews 2 (NLT)

Hebrews 3 (NLT)

Hebrews 4 (NLT)

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2:1

"So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it."

It takes more than mere belief to be a Christian. I must continually seek out Christ and follow His teachings. If I'm not diligent in my pursuit of Christ, I could easily drift away from it.

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2:18

"Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested."

4:15-16

"¹⁵This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. ¹⁶So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most."

These verses about Jesus are so encouraging! He became human and was tested and tried, just as we are. He knows what we are going through; He has been there! When I feel overwhelmed, I need to remember that Jesus has been here and knows what I'm going through. I need to come to Him in prayer and ask Him to help me when I'm struggling!

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3:7-8

"⁷That is why the Holy Spirit says, 'Today when you hear his voice, ⁸don't harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled, when they tested me in the wilderness."

3:15

"Remember what it says: "Today when you hear his voice, don't harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled."

4:7b

"God announced this through David much later in the words already quoted: 'Today when you hear his voice, don't harden your hearts."

These verses all refer back to Psalm 95:7-8: "⁷for he is our God. We are the people he watches over, the flock under his care. If only you would listen to his voice today! ⁸The LORD says, 'Don't harden your hearts as Israel did at Meribah, as they did at Massah in the wilderness.'"

(Meribah means "arguing," and Massah means "testing.")

Basically, God is making it real clear that when He speaks to me, I should listen to Him! The Israelites missed out on the Promised Land because of their bad attitudes and disobedience to God. I certainly don't want to miss out on all the wonderful things God has to offer me! It's so easy sometimes to avoid or talk myself out of something that God puts on my heart. When God speaks to me, I need to listen and obey, not turn away from Him.

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4:12-13

"¹²For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. ¹³Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable."

God's word (the bible) is meant to be more than just a good story to read. It's a powerful life-changing tool. The bible exposes things about myself that I need to be aware of and change. If I read it with a true open heart, I can see where I fall short in God's calling for me.

Also, I can't hide my heart and my true intentions from God. He knows everything about me. Thinking about that fact makes me ashamed for my past (and sometimes even my present). I am very blessed that He is willing to forgive me and wipe my slate clean day after day! I also want to do my best to please God and live the way He wants me to. When it comes down to it, my heart really has to be in it! God knows if I'm just going through the motions.