What’s the best invitation you’ve ever received? And how did you respond to it? Some do not see the Hebrews writer’s words as an extension of Y’shua’s invitation – but it is. Like his audience then, we must decide on our response to the invite as we consider Today’s Holy Nougat.
Hebrews 4:16 CEB
[16] Finally, let’s draw near to the throne of favor with confidence so that we can receive mercy and find grace when we need help.
Confidently Draw Near
Can you imagine? In an era when persecution led to the dispersion of Jewish believers, the Hebrews writer encouraged them to be confident. What could the writer have been thinking?! And yet, it makes loads of sense. This was someone who obviously wrote from a place of experience. You could even say it was a customer review. Like when David invites us to taste and see how good God is (see Psalm 34:8). We know that he wrote from his personal experience of God. He guaranteed YHWH from what he knew and observed.
Self-Check
Do our lifestyles actually invite others to taste and see God’s goodness?
Digging Deeper
Usually such guarantees result from others asking for information, or from a person’s satisfaction with goods or services received. Although it is possible that the audience asked the writer for encouragement, we know that the apostles of the day were unabashed in promoting Y’shua as Messiah, even if persecuted. Remember apostles were the sent ones. Those words would have been encouragement for the believers then as they grappled with faith and fear.
As believers living in a world that’s punctuated by individual, national, and global conflicts, we can also choose to bear witness about Y’shua to others. Although we aren’t facing persecution for our faith, we who’ve experienced Y’shua as Lord know that He is our Rest, and that’s a great starting point. We begin with what we know. So let’s ask ourselves about our experiences of Y’shua in uncertain times. Then, using that as our frame of reference, we can encourage ourselves and others, no matter the circumstance.
We can also focus on Y’shua’s prophecies. His prophecies about His crucifixion and the End Times have rung true. He was crucified and He rose from the grave. Several of the predictions of wars, especially in the Middle East, have come to pass. If we use those as our starting point, we realize that we can trust Him in these unpredictable times.
That’s what strengthens our confidence. Our certainty that Y’shua will keep His promise of protection and accompaniment. Shall we allow this to reflect on our everyday lives? Are there persons in our contexts who need this message of hope? Perhaps persons facing trauma or loss may wish to receive an invitation to confidently draw near to Y’shua.
How about us – what are we waiting for? Let’s draw confidently to Y’shua, our rest and High Priest.
Point to Ponder
What does our testimony look like to souls searching for a Comforter in desperate times?
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May all we seek be found in Christ
