Many today are too busy to eat from the Shepherd’s Hand
They’re too busy working, too slow to understand
But if you’d take the time to hear His voice
You just might rejoice
Because the sound you hear
As you bow down your ear
Is the call of the Master
To dine and draw near.
(RG)
Psalm 95:7
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand.
Today, if you will hear His voice.
What does furniture polish and living for God have in common? You just might be surprised.
“Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him. But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.” Hebrews 10:38–39 [nkjv]
The Greek word for “faith” here, is “pistis”. This isn’t merely: believing, confidence, or having been persuaded. It is those things, but it also means, a “pledge”. If you get right down to it, it is “the just”, (as the Bible calls us), who live this way – by a pledge. Do you remember growing us, going to school as children, and they would have to say the “Pledge of Allegiance” to the flag of the United States of America? Why did we have to do that? What was the point? They were actually indoctrinating us, so that when we got older we would never draw back from being Americans. The pledge, though we didn’t know it at the time, was a solemn promise we made (and lived by). A promise to do what? That we would never defect over to join forces with “the enemy”, the communist party, but that we would remain true to who we are – American citizens. Does that make sense?
The same is true in the spiritual realm. God has called us, “Children of the most High”, “Sons and daughters of God”, “citizens of Heaven”. We were “sworn-in”, (if you will), the moment we confessed Christ at our conversion. Our new nature is built to live by faith, to live by a pledge, and live by the constitution of the Kingdom. Here in Hebrews, we can conclude that when one lives by the pledge, it brings God great pleasure.
Also, think of it this way. Without using Pledge furniture polish, your house would get pretty dusty. And many of us today, are not truly living by faith – or by the pledge, and thus our spiritual lives are neglected, and the dust of sin and this world has settled upon us – without us even noticing it.
So, what do we do now? Verse 39, “But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe”, (“pistis”), same Greek word. The writer to the Hebrews, in effect says…
“Hey! Listen up everyone, we’re not going to slowly shrink away from our commitment to Christ. No. We’re going to valiantly hold up the pledge that we confessed when we first believed. In fact, our commitment to live by the pledge is going to get even stronger. We’re going to feel it – even down in our very souls!”
Faith! Let’s get back to it today.
A member of a certain church, who previously had been attending services regularly, stopped going. After a few weeks, the pastor decided to visit him.
It was a chilly evening. The pastor found the man at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire. Guessing the reason for his pastor’s visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a comfortable chair near the fireplace and waited.
The pastor made himself at home but said nothing. In the grave silence, he contemplated the dance of the flames around the burning logs. After some minutes, the pastor took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it one side of the hearth, all alone. Then he sat back in his chair, still silent. The host watched all this in quiet contemplation. As the one lone ember’s flame flickered and diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more. Soon it was cold and dead.
Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting. The pastor glanced at his watch and realized it was time to leave. He slowly stood up, picked up the cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow, once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it.
As the pastor reached the door to leave, his host said with a tear running down his cheek, “Thank you so much for your visit and especially for the fiery sermon.”
(via: Pastor David Sumrall, of Cathedral of Praise)
FEED THE FIRE! 