Pursue God’s Wisdom

I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. (Jude 1:5)

There are always negative consequences for rejecting God’s wisdom.

God says that He wants to put some people “in remembrance” through the writing of Jude. That means He is talking to people who already know. They have already been taught. They know what God’s wisdom says and dictates.

The people Jude is writing to know the story of the people of Israel who refused to accept God’s wisdom, but they have forgotten it because they have become so caught up in their own issues and problems that they thought they needed to come up with a “better way.”

When kids are young, they often think they know better than their parents, and they rebel against their elders’ wisdom.

Jude reminded his readers of the wilderness journey the Israelites took after their miraculous deliverance from Egypt. When problems showed up in the middle of God’s provision, the Israelites chose not to believe God and came up with their own solution: “Let’s go back to Egypt.” They spoke their doubt and frustrations about the problem more than they declared their faith in God’s goodness. Their lack of faith led to a wilderness journey that lasted forty years, and the death of the faithless generation.

In our own lives, we too face moments of adversity and uncertainty. These are opportunities to either listen to and embrace God's wisdom, or to reject it and try to figure it out in our own way.

Decide to pursue God’s wisdom. Hear His Word and speak only faith. Then you will see the results of God’s goodness showing up in every area of your life.

Practical Application

When you feel worried, anxious, or stressed, ask yourself out loud, “What does God’s Word say?” Tell yourself that you will ONLY speak what God says and refuse to allow doubt to come out of your mouth.

Psalm 106:26; 1 Corinthians 10:1

Boldly Approaching God’s Throne

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)

We all fall short of perfection. We all miss it at times.

Thank God that we don’t need to be ashamed or worried about coming to our Heavenly Father when we do. The writer of Hebrews used the word boldly to tell us how to come to God, even when we miss the mark. This word boldly in Greek is parrhesia. It means unashamedly or refusing to allow shame to keep us away from a relationship with our Heavenly Father. When we come with that type of humbleness and bold understanding, the Bible says that God gives mercy. The word mercy in Greek is eleos - and means mercy, compassion, someone who is tenderhearted to you, somebody who understands your infirmities, someone who is willing to give you a pass to help you.

Grace means many things, but here it is the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

So, what does Hebrews 4:16 tell us? Our confident approach to God, and understanding who He is and who we are as His children, grants us the ministry of the Holy Spirit with a compassionate response from God in the times that we need it the most.

Imagine a ship struggling against the waves, trying to reach the safety of the shore. It throws a line to the shore, and with the help of that line, it's pulled to safety. Similarly, when we come boldly to the throne of grace, God has given us a lifeline—the ministry of the Holy Spirit. He empowers us to overcome the struggles, habits, and sins that we had walked in.

So, how do we come boldly? It begins with acknowledging our need for God's mercy. Repentance is not just saying, "I'm sorry," but also turning away from our old ways and moving in the opposite direction.

Today, if you find yourself in turbulent waters, struggling against the waves of life's challenges, don't be ashamed. Instead, come boldly to the throne of grace, knowing who God is and what His promises are for you.

Practical Application

What do you have to repent of that is holding you back from receiving God’s mercy? What things have you allowed in your life that God has said to get rid of? Decide to fully rid yourself of anything that is keeping you from His anointing working in your life.

Ephesians 3:12; Exodus 25:17

Our Great High Priest

Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:14-15)

Paul, whom I believe to be the one who penned Hebrews, wrote to the church in this letter about an eternally comforting truth: we have Jesus as our great High Priest.

The role of the High Priest was threefold:

1) To pray and intercede on behalf of the people to God.

2) To offer gifts and sacrifices on the behalf of the people they serve.

3) To be a bridge between humanity and God.

The verse continues to let us know Jesus is better than any High Priest that ever existed. He is both 100% human, which means He understands and has experienced all the infirmities that issues that we have, and He is 100% God, for He remained without sin. Humans who have had the honor of being in that position were fallible and could make mistakes in fulfilling the duties ascribed to them. However, our High Priest is Jesus, the Son of God, the Alpha and Omega, who has ascended into Heaven and sits at the right hand of the throne of God.

Therefore, Paul reminded us in Hebrews 4:14 to hold fast our profession of faith. We can be assured that our confession of faith is going to reap results because we know who is on our side and working on our behalf!

He not only understands us, but He has also given us His authority, His righteousness, and His power for us to use in all aspects of our lives.

Practical Application

Don’t stop your confession of faith! What are you believing for? What Scriptures are you standing on? Jesus is on your side, so don’t stop speaking what you are believing until you see it come to pass.

2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 7:26