Dig Deeper:
HANG ON TIGHT: The wind almost always blows on Lake Okabena. When we first moved here, I tied up my kayaks with some old rope I found in the garage, but it wasn't long before one of those ropes snapped during the night and a kayak drifted away. The wind constantly blows in our lives as well. In v1, we are warned that if we don't have a solid grip on God's Word, we will drift away. This is why it's so important that you take the time each day to read God's Word.
HEBREWS SUMMARIZED IN ONE VERSE: Read v17 slowly and carefully, because once you understand this verse well, the rest of this book will make much more sense to you. The point of Hebrews is to demonstrate that Jesus fulfills every aspect of the Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament). A key element of Old Testament theology is that priests stood in between the Holy God and sinful people, making sacrifices to atone (see next paragraph) for the sins of the people. V17 explains that Jesus, who was and is fully God, became fully man. Because the perfectly sin-free (righteous) Jesus 'tasted death for everyone' (v9), He became the ultimate high priest because He made full satisfaction for our sins. You no longer stand before God as a wretched sinner, rather you stand before Him in the full righteousness which has been given to you through faith in Jesus Christ.
AT-ONE-MENT: The word atone is not one we use very often anymore in everyday language, but it is a concept we know very well. Each time you go to the store and select items, you must first go through the checkout line and make atonement for those items before you can take them home. To atone for something simply means to pay for it. That's what is meant when we say that Jesus made atonement for sin: He paid for it, satisfying God's justice. One of the cool things about the word atonement is that it carries its meaning in the way it's pronounced. Because your sins are paid for, you are now AT ONE with God!
Prayer Tips:
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: For in God and through God everything exists (v10).
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Jesus was tempted just as we are, yet He remained sinless. Pray that God gives you strength to resist temptation as Jesus did.
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
