the city of the heart

Here on earth we do not have a city that lasts forever, but we are looking for the city that we will have in the future. [Hebrews 13:14 NCV]

The contrast between the two cities mentioned in this verse is stark. Eternal vs temporal. Invisible vs visible. Inner vs outer. In reality, we who believe are residents of both cities. We walk the sidewalks of this world while living in a city that is so much different that what we see and hear.

The outer city demands our attention by captivating our senses with sights, sounds and aromas of this world. Yet all the while the inner city beckons us to sense an unseen reality. A dimension that is filled with love in the midst of hate. Peace in a time of war. Joy in times of great despair.

Yet this inner city is a place that we must seek out. It does not come to us. We come to it. Like the saints of old we must, by faith, seek this city out. Give priority to this inner city of the heart. Daily we must sense the activities of this city. Then we must live according to the laws of this city.

Lord, please open our inner eyes and ears that we might see the eternal city.

... this devotion is part of a series from the book of Hebrews.
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the strengthened heart

Do not let all kinds of strange teachings lead you into the wrong way. Your hearts should be strengthened by God’s grace, not by obeying rules about foods, which do not help those who obey them. [Hebrews 13:9 NCV]

I have always been somewhat of a rule follower. Obeying the rules always strengthened my ego but never really did anything for my heart. I found that following the rules produced in me a judgmental attitude towards those who did not follow the rules. And that was a problem.

In contrast, embracing God's grace strengthened my heart and gave me the ability to offer grace to others. People of grace understand that they are divinely loved unconditionally and desire to love in the same way. And as they love unconditionally their hearts are strengthened.

Thank you Lord for the grace you give to me and the grace you offer through me.

... this devotion is part of a series from the book of Hebrews.
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the divine self

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. [Hebrews 13:8 NCV]

It is hard to read this and not remember the words that God used to describe himself to Moses. The divine descriptor he uttered was "I Am". I looked up the Greek word translated "the same" here and found that an alternative definition is "self". The idea that Jesus is the "I Am".

This makes sense to me because I believe that Jesus is divine. God in the flesh. Therefore he is "I Am". The divine self. The one who is eternally the same. Love never changing and never ending. Eternal mercy and goodness. Always present with us. These are descriptors of a divine being.

This brings me such comfort Lord. You are always trustable because you are always the same.

... this devotion is part of a series from the book of Hebrews.
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spiritual copycats

Remember your leaders who taught God’s message to you. Remember how they lived and died, and copy their faith. [Hebrews 13:7 NCV]

I have benefited greatly from those who have taught me about spiritual things. Over forty years ago my friend Jerry taught me what following God was all about. My longtime pastor Ernie passed on to me a love for the scriptures. Adam, the pastor of the church we now attend, teaches me how to embrace the gray areas. Since coming to the Lord I have learned so much from spiritual leaders.

Yet I think that each of these men would absolutely not want me to be their clone. They would want me to copy qualities like their faith but not how they lived. The latter is a mistake that I made when I was young. I admired my leaders and copied what they did. I was a spiritual copycat. Thankfully, I found the unique expression of God in my heart and embraced a faith that was truly my own.

Teach us Lord to embrace the uniqueness of our faith and your life in our lives.

... this devotion is part of a series from the book of Hebrews.
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confidence of the heart

I will not be afraid, because the Lord is my helper. People can’t do anything to me. [Hebrews 13:6 NCV]

On the surface this statement sounds a bit absurd. People of faith are often mistreated. Saints of old were tortured and martyred for their faith. So the idea that people cannot hurt us seems to border on delusional positive thinking. Yet, perhaps the author is trying to convey a different truth?

Under threat of papal imprisonment and censure Martin Luther uttered these words:
"I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I can do no other, so help me God. Amen.
In saying this Luther affirmed that there are things in life more important than external appearances or consequences. When he says it is neither right nor safe to go against conscience he affirms that there are things greater than what we can see. His words are filled with a confidence of the heart.

In truth there are things worse than what can be done to us. What we do to ourselves is far worse. It is worse to betray our conscience. In his epistle James teaches us that sin is knowing the right thing to do and refusing to do it. In doing so we do great damage to our very being.

Help me to not be afraid of what people can do to me Lord. Give me a confidence of the heart.

... this devotion is part of a series from the book of Hebrews.
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the divine presence in the heart

God has said, “I will never leave you; I will never abandon you.” [Hebrews 13:5 NCV]

On the cross Jesus cried out: “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” Perhaps this was the most human thing that he ever said? His emotion was raw. In his heart he knew that God was with him but in the extreme pain of a torturous cross he 'felt' abandoned. In that I take much comfort.

We all know, in our heads anyway, that God is with us in the most awful times of our lives. Yet we often do not sense his presence with us in our pain. Our prayers go unanswered and a feeling of raw abandonment encompasses us. Some do not spiritually survive the experience.

In my own life an inner faith, a knowing in my heart, has helped me to persevere in hard times. Jesus had such a knowing. He experienced a divine presence within his inner being when his outer senses were on fire with pain. Because of this he persevered through feelings of abandonment.

Lord, teach us to look for your presence within when we feel abandoned.

... this devotion is part of a series from the book of Hebrews.
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satisfaction of the heart

Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be satisfied with what you have. [Hebrews 13:5 NCV]

Has there ever been better advice for citizens of 21st Century America? And other nations for that matter. It reminds me of that old Rolling Stones song that refrains "I can't get no satisfaction". The deep unrest about material matters reminds me that satisfaction is a matter of the heart.

The writer accurately observes that the issue is not money but the love of it. And the things that money buys. The matter is one that confronts the rich and the poor. In the most basic sense, satisfaction and contentment are inner issues that cannot met with external things like money.

Our lack of contentment often drives us to make really unwise decisions. We go into debt thinking that a new car or house will bring satisfaction. And they do not. As Paul told the Philippians, contentment is a learning process. A journey of the heart that confronts us at a deep level.

Help us Lord to be free from the love of money. Teach us to find satisfaction in our inner life.

... this devotion is part of a series from the book of Hebrews.
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