Speak His Name

Before you start todays devotional, ask the Lord to use it to grow you up in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Staying the course and keeping your focus on Jesus, even when it gets hard, is part of the command of being a disciple. Jesus not only wants you to follow Him, but He also calls every one of His disciples to follow Him to the end.

In other words, since Jesus offers such a wonderful message of hope and forgiveness, it pays for you to give attention to Him—it will be very profitable to you.

But to refuse His voice means certain punishment and judgment. God’s people, the Jews, notoriously rejected His offer of grace and forgiveness. He offered them refuge and hope if they would simply turn to Him and believe His promise. But they refused. Ultimately, they refused the offer that came again in the person of Jesus (John 1:11-13).

And it is a serious mistake to ignore these continued warnings in Scripture. God takes His Word and His offering of it very seriously. At the giving of the Law, there was an earthquake, and God shook the earth (Exodus 20:18-19). That occurred at the giving of the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai. But the writer to the Hebrews mentions a second event when God will again shake the earth (Haggai 2:6).

When God speaks, there is a corresponding substantial response on earth. The apostle Peter also warned us that God will eventually destroy the earth with a cataclysmic event (2 Peter 3:7). God’s revelation and offering of His Word is not to be taken lightly. How much more serious is refusing to believe that gracious Word when it is offered in the person of His Son, Jesus?

God says He is going to shake the earth and heaven itself. Why? To let all His created universe know that your faith in Jesus Christ is unshakable. He is the Rock we rest on. Do you want a secure place to rest your salvation? Go to Jesus. Build your life on the foundation of faith—by trusting in the promises of God in Jesus.

Christianity is not “playing church.” Neither does following Jesus mean maintaining an outward façade of spirituality. Following Jesus is a living, vital, and genuine relationship with Him that transforms your life and anchors you in the Word of God.

God is gracious. He demonstrated this grace when He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for your sin. He didn’t wait for the world to turn to Him before ushering in His grace. Even when we were determined to live apart from Him, He made His move toward us in mercy and love (Romans 5:8). That’s the wonder of the gospel He proclaims.

To receive that gift by faith brings to you lasting reward and unlimited divine resources to live a life that pleases the Lord. To ignore it means you’re gambling with your eternal destiny. Have you turned to God in repentance and trusted in His Son, Jesus? You can do that now. Simply bow your heart and ask Him for forgiveness.

1. One of the benefits of salvation is a new heart, because our old one is sinful. What does this tell us about people who don’t know Christ and our interactions with them?

2. The Israelites who were given the Ten Commandments eventually neglected them. The same is true of us with Jesus. How can you guard against neglecting the amazing gift of the Son of God?

3. Why do you think the writer of Hebrews mentioned the earthquake at the giving of the Law? Imagine you had been present then. What impact do you think the ground shaking under your feet would have had on you?

Additional Resources:

Trusted Bible teacher, Dr. J. Vernon McGee's, complete audio teachings of Hebrews 12:1-2, Hebrews 12:3-11, Hebrews 12:9-16, Hebrews 12:15-24, Hebrews 12:25-13:8.

For a deeper study of Hebrews, try the Hebrews Bible Companion.