MY LIPS WILL SHOW FORTH YOUR PRAISE O LORD!!!!!!!!!!

“DIG IN” DEVOTIONS

April 1, 2008

When was the last time you “exhorted one another every day” to do anything? Have we reached a point in society where it is no longer acceptable to hold each other accountable? At the very least should we not seek to encourage each other and build each other up?

The writer of Hebrews understood that as believers in a community it would be beneficial for the believers to support each other – especially in light of the persecution that early Christians suffered from the Jews and the Roman government. It was (and still is) very convenient to hide our faith at some times, or to let ourselves slip into former habits (I know it sure is for me sometimes). God inspired the writer of Hebrews to tell his audience (and us) that we should exhort (encourage, tell, remind) each other to “hold to our first confident firm to the end”, that is, to cling fast to our faith, to our commitment to serve God to the very end.  We are to encourage each other so that we do not inadvertently or intentionally “have an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.”  

CHALLENGE

This month be sure to offer words of encouragement (email, text, AIM, phone, etc.) to at least two of your Christian friends to keep on the “good fight of the faith”.

PRAYER

Loving Father, we praise you for who you are, we thank you for the gifts you have given us, especially your son Jesus Christ, and we ask you to please help us to always build each other up and support each other as we struggle to be your people in this broken world. In Jesus’ Name,

Amen