Significance

Hebrews 6:19 (Hebrews 6:13, 16-20)

When God made His promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for Him to swear by, He swore by Himself.

Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument.  Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, He confirmed it with an oath.  God did this so that by two unchangeable  things, in which it is impossible for God lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us might be greatly encouraged.  We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.  It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us has entered on our behalf.  He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek. 

God promised Abraham he would be the father of many nations.  How many is many?  Israel, Edom, the nations of the Ishmaelites?  How about Germany, Russia, Turkey, Italy, England, the USA?  Every country that at one time adopted Christianity became the children of Abraham.  Nations come and go; Yugoslavia, Moravia, Bohemia, and on and on, but God’s promise continues.

What does that mean to me?  The Father’s promises out last everything!

We “flee” to take hold of the promise.  What do we flee?  Destruction, chaos, the evil that is this world.

Where do we flee to?  The inner sanctuary, where, because Jesus entered first as our great high priest in the order of Melchizedek, we may now freely enter.

And here’s the twist... the inner sanctuary was the one place that assured us of our destruction.  But because of Jesus it’s the only place that assures us of eternal life!

The curtain is the door to the throne room of the Father.  Jesus, because He is the great high priest, is the only one who can hold that curtain back so that we may enter.

Abraham, who didn’t even have the Mosaic Law, died in peace because he saw the beginning of the fulfillment of the promise.  He knew Messiah would come even before there was a Moses.  But only in his dreams could he have envisioned what that promise would mean for the entire world, the entire planet and to me...little insignificant me!

Because Abraham listened and trusted God, I am significant.

I can’t wait to meet him!

The Terror I May Never Know

The Terror I May Never Know

The television is filled with images of people in desperate despair in China. An Earthquake measuring 7.9 struck that country, in the middle of the morning, on a busy week day. Many of the buildings that collapsed crushed thousands of school children. The populations of entire towns are sleeping out of doors, some, even camping out under umbrellas, for fear that more quakes will happen and more misery added to their lives.

Parents stand on the edges of the rubble that was once their child’s school. They cry and scream out their children’s name but hear only silence. Rescue workers stand nearby, with nothing to do but watch and add their tears, because they must wait for other workers to remove as much wreckage as possible before they can climb inside to pull out the bodies.

I saw footage of Chinese people standing on a train platform. They were experiencing another aftershock. The look of terror and dismay on their faces said more to me than any news commentator could.

I see their fear and can imagine it in my mind. But I cannot know it and I probably never will.

My life has had its share of devastation. I have lost loved ones and seen my children suffer. But there is a difference. I place my faith in a God who loves all people. I believe that each one of those grieving parents brings sadness to my God’s heart.

Because of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, because of his death, I can come before my Father. I can stand in the throne room, beside my savior and know that my Father hears my prayers and desires only good for me and those I love and even those I have never met and yet have included in my prayers.

I cannot reach out to people in China, or Myanmar, or Columbia to bring help and comfort. But there is no doubt in my mind that my prayers, and the prayers of countless others reaches God’s throne and that he hears and acts because we have boldness to come and ask him.

Someday I may be caught in a tornado. I may have the world collapse beneath my feet. I may be caught in a flood that sweeps away everyone I know and love. But if I am the only one left, although I am sure that I would feel terror, loss and uncertainty, I know that I would not be lost. My God is my sun and my shield. He will protect my mind and see me through until I reach past this life and enter into Heaven where he will wipe away my tears and fill me with such gladness that I will no longer remember the devastation of life lived in a fallen world.

And so I pray. And I ask the Father what I can do. And I do what I can. I pray that there will be those who can and will.

I am safe. No matter what happens, I am safe.