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Let Us Hold Fast
“Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Hebrews 10: 23-25
What a powerful few lines from Hebrews. Here, the author is asking us to “hold fast to hope,” “provoke one another to love and good deeds,” “not neglecting to meet together,” and “encourage one another.” This is good news for us Daily Word readers!
“Holding fast to hope” is sometimes easier said than done. Maybe you are in the midst of a difficult time at work or a medical issue and this strikes you as somewhat naive or very difficult. I hope you take the Hebrews words and ask God to help you feel more hopeful and at peace.
“Provoke one another.” I must admit that, at first reading, this struck my ear with a negative connotation. Provoking is an action that I view as doing something unsettling, yet maybe this is exactly what doing these actions need to do. If we ask others to love, do good deeds and encourage, maybe those acts so foreign in our contemporary society might be shocking. The opportunity to perform these provocations of love and good deeds lies before us today, so let’s ask God where and whom we can provoke.
There is something here that the author of Hebrews knows, that meeting together as a Christian community is so important. As our society becomes more connected via the internet, we are becoming more isolated as a people. Our meeting together at worship times is a community act, yes, we worship as individuals, but also as a community meeting together.
I end this "Daily Word" as our verses end, with encouragement. I pray that you provoke someone in your life to a positive action of love and good deeds. I pray that worship this coming Wednesday and Sunday is one in which we are encouraged as a community of believers.
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