Hebrews 13:1-8, Family Discipline
Introduction: The Lord is good and his love endures forever. We are meditating under the monthly theme: ‘Save your whole family’, the theme for the day is ‘Family Discipline.’ Individual discipline leads to family discipline. The author of the Hebrews has given his advice in this passage under various concerns. We can summarize them into three as Be Commended, be content, and be confident.
I would like to share with you three things
Be commended
Be Content
Be Confident
1. Be Commended (Hebrews 13:1-3)
Be commended for the three things such as Charity, Hospitality, and Integrity in prayer life are three matters stated in these three verses. Let people, believers admire your spirituality, charity, and hospitality. These three things are demanding your life, your money, and your time. These three you have to spend for these purposes.
The author of the Book of Hebrews was so much concerned about the strangers as well as prisoners. He was talking about the love of God. He remembers the words of Christ and what he taught the disciples about the judgment. The King told those who stood on the right to enter into the kingdom of Joy because they took care of the strangers, and needy and visited the sick and the imprisoned (Matthew 25:34-40).
We meet with strangers; we pray for those whom we never even met not even once in our lifetime. All these are counted, recorded, and kept in the book of remembrance (Malachi 3:16), and in the book of records and Deeds (Revelation 20:12). Love the strangers (Leviticus 19:34, Deuteronomy 10.19), show hospitality to the strangers (Romans 12:13), and show hospitality without grumbling (1 Peter4:9). Abraham fed the strangers (Genesis 18:1-2), and Lot entertained them without knowing that they were Angels (Genesis 19:1-2). Job says that the sojourner has not lodged in the street and he has opened my doors to the traveler (Job 31:32).
Praying for the people who are bounded, and imprisoned for various causes is one of our responsibilities. People are bounded by Satan, sickness, people, and government. Pray for their liberation. There are prisoners of the Gospel all over the world, especially in the Islamic, communist, and even in our own nation. Some are directly arrested for preaching and distributing the Gospel. Some are imposed with wrong allegations and fraudulent ways imprisoned. We need to pray for their safety and release. Prophet Jeremiah was kept in prison (Jeremiah 38:6), Peter was imprisoned (Acts 12:4-5), Apostles were arrested (Acts 5:18), and Paul was arrested (Acts 21:33). They were released by the prayers of the believers.
2. Be Content (Hebrews 13:4-5)
Desire, lust, Sex, and Money never satisfy a man. Proverbs 27:20 says the hell, Sheol, and the eyes of men are never satisfied. Proverbs 30:15-16 lists four things that are never satisfied. First is the grave or the hell, second is the barren womb, and third is the land. Finally, a fire just keeps on burning (Proverbs 30:15-16). Whenever one who desires gets what he wants, he begins to crave for something more. This is a common thing that has put many into trouble.
Desire is a very powerful thing that God has embedded deep in our systems. It is not inherently evil, but it can be used for the wrong purposes. ‘Eve was convinced. How lovely and fresh-looking it was! And it would make her so wise! So, she ate some of the fruit and gave some to her husband, and he ate it too.’ (Genesis 3:6). Desire is a natural and innate ability. Be satisfied with the relationship with God, satisfaction in the word (Psalm 16:11).
‘All things are wearisome; Man is not able to tell it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor is the ear filled with hearing’ (Ecclesiastes 1:8). ‘The eye and ear are here put for all the senses because these are most spiritual and refined, most curious and inquisitive, most capable of receiving satisfaction, and exercised with more ease and pleasure than the other senses.’ (Ellicott). Man has never been satisfied with movies, songs, and entertainment. My soul found rest in God (Psalm 62:5).
Paul writes to Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:6-8, that Godliness with content is great gain. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. Further, Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12:10 that “Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”
3. Be Confident (Hebrews 13:6-8)
Be confident because you worship a God who provides for you, protects you, and is concerned about you. Be confident because you have seen your role models, pastors, and servants of God and they are sacrificial life and their faith struggles and how they overcome everything in their lives. Because Jesus Christ is the same for yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
The Lord is your helper. Those who seek the Lord never lack anything (Psalm 34:10). The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want (Psalm 23:1). The writer of the book of Proverbs prays to God for two things, one is to Keep falsehood and lies far from him, and give him neither poverty nor riches, but give him only my daily bread (Proverbs 30: 7-9).
God never let down Joseph who was faithful in his purity, and chastity. God never let down Daniel who was a man of integrity and faithful. God never let down Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. God never let down David who worshipped him at all times. God never let down Paul for his zeal. God never let down Elijah who was serving God with watchfulness. God was the same to them. That same Lord lives forever and ever.
Prophet Jeremiah says that the blessed is the man who puts his trust in the Lord (Jeremiah 17:7). The Lord will be at your side (Proverbs 3:25-26). Our job is simply to rely on Him and to know that the Almighty God is the one who will fight whatever battles we may be facing in life. (2 Chronicles 32:8).
Where are you today? What are the worries you have? Whether loss of health, facing difficulties in financial difficulties, or anything. Be confident that you will lose all that extra weight you’re carrying or hundreds of other things that could pull you down. God says “do not fear. “(Isaiah 41:10). God has started good work in you before you were even born and has not stopped carrying on that good in you every single day of your life (Philippians 1:6).
Conclusion:
Be commended, be content with what God has provided and keep providing you, be confident and keep moving with grace.
