Thursday 12 Jan 2023

January 12: Hebrews 3:7-14

Key Verse: Hebrews 3:10
That is why I was angry with that generation; I said, “Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.”

Devotion:
How many times have you said something horrible in anger after being provoked a bit too far? I’m sure we have all said things we don’t want to say or even repeat because they were out of character for us; that alter character being born from anger and provocation from people who were not thinking about your feelings...

Now think of that feeling a short while and see if you could have changed your ways at the time? The answer would probably be that you would very much like to change your actions at the time, but your were not in your normal state of mind because of the things which had probably been done and said to you just before that!

God had to put up with the people of Israel doing and saying horrible things time and time again. Eventually He got so angry with the people He made an oath which He looked back on and knew it was harsh – but if truth be told and we look back on the actions of the people of Israel at the time, those reactions may well have been deserved… but out of character for God. This is why we know God as a wrathful God. You continue rubbing Him up the wrong way and it may be inevitable He does something out of character!

This is where Christ comes in. He willingly paid the ultimate price for us so we could be forgiven for the things we do; you know, the time when we have provoked God so much we just know He is going to do something to us! That is the amazing love God has for us; He enabled His own Son to step up and take the blame when we deserved it!

Points to Ponder:
Have you provoked God recently?

Will you seek Jesus to forgive you?