Today in God’s Word

Today in God's Word—August 2023

East Tallassee Church of Christ

August 28, Hebrews 3

Will you face discouraging circumstances in your walk as a disciple of Jesus? Certainly you will. Will your faith ever waver? It might; it happens to many of us. Is it possible to hold onto your confidence in times of testing? Yes. Many people fall into unbelief and lose their confidence in the face of trials, but it’s possible to come through trials with confidence intact when our trust is securely vested in Christ.

An entire generation of Israel had to die in the wilderness because they rebelled against God instead of relying on him. How can we avoid the same disastrous failure of faith?

First, realize apostasy begins in the heart as unbelief. As rational beings, we act in ways that are consistent with our thinking. Behavior stems from belief. When we disobey God, we do so because at the moment, we doubt God’s way is best for us. We think we know better. So the author of Hebrews warned us to take care, to be on the lookout for the first hints of unbelief in our hearts. He did not call skepticism healthy; he called it evil. If the righteous live by faith, it makes sense that unbelief is the first step in rebellion.

Then our writer commanded us to encourage one another every day. Who knows how many who’ve walked away from God might have stayed by his side in an environment of regular, consistent encouragement? How many preachers, church leaders, young disciples and seasoned saints have been worn down and driven out by discouraging adversity? The holy calling of every member of the body of

Christ is to give and receive encouragement, to remind and encourage one another about what is true. Sin is deceptive, working gradually to harden our hearts. Daily doses of encouragement can keep that from happening.

Jesus faced temptations and remained faithful to God. Moses was faithful, but the people he led out of Israel missed entering Canaan because of their disobedience and unbelief. The admonition from God’s Holy Spirit to us is, “Today, if you will hear his voice. Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion....” If we guard our hearts, encourage one another daily and hold firmly to our hope, then unbelief and disobedience will not draw us away from our calling. By God’s sustaining grace, we can hold onto our confidence and be secure in our hope.

Copyright © 2010 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.