We need to do this and receive it every day. Yes, EVERY day!

By Dean Collins

“But exhort one another every day . . . .”

But wouldn’t every other day be enough? Or maybe every other week? After all, those of us who have heard the truth of Scripture that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, do we really need to be reminded daily to trust God? Apparently, the writer of Hebrews thought so, and if we consider how many voices are challenging us to do the opposite, then maybe we all need to up our exhortation to one another.

God sent Jesus

Hebrews 3:12 has some strong language for us to consider. We are called to take care or pay attention because there is the possibility that evil and unbelieving hearts might just be leading us to fall away from God’s truth. The very opening of the book of Hebrews reminds us that God has been in communication with his creation since the beginning of times. He has spoken to mankind by various means, but now in the last days, he speaks to us through his Son, who is the heir of all things and the radiance of God’s glory. We are told that Jesus is the imprint of the nature of God and that he is also the one who holds everything together.

Knowing that God sent Jesus to speak to us, teach us, and redeem and transform us would certainly suggest that we should pay closer attention to what we have heard from Jesus. And to answer my first question, no, exhorting each other occasionally isn’t the best path. We must be reminded of the goodness, the grace, the truth, and the ways of God for us in Christ every day.

We have a problem

I suspect you would agree that we have a universal problem called sin. Our pride consistently tells us that we can save ourselves, help ourselves, fix our problems, and even fix the problems of society and across the world by our own ingenuity. Yet no one has ever been able to do what only God in Christ has already done and continues to do.

We have an opportunity

Hebrews 3 reminds us that our opportunity to be saved, to be transformed, to be used by God, and to avoid the trap of sin and pride is “today.” Yesterday is behind us, and there is no promise of tomorrow. It is today that we must seek God with all our heart and mind. Today we can pay closer attention to the words of God for us in Christ. Today we can call and encourage a friend. Today we can help a brother or sister rediscover the grace and mercy of Jesus.

Hardly a day passes when we are not encouraged by some advertisement on television, the radio, or in print to manage our diet. One of the problems most of us are trying to avoid is atherosclerosis, the “hardening of the arteries.” Too much fat, cholesterol, and other substances can cause plaque to build up on the lining of our arteries and can lead to blockages and even death. Paying closer attention to what the doctors and nutrition experts tell us is important and even life saving.

Loving family members and friends exhort and encourage us to pay attention to our health because they love us and want us to be around tomorrow and the day after. Maybe it’s time we took the words of Hebrews more seriously and exhorted one another daily to listen to and for the voice of Jesus that comes to us by the Holy Spirit and through the Word of God.

I doubt any of us would say we are always at full attention before the Lord. We can pay much closer attention to the Holy Spirit and to the Word of Scripture. We can take care and check our hearts so that we don’t wander into the sin of unbelief. And we can exhort and encourage one another today to obediently and humbly follow wherever God leads us.

Father, forgive us for seasons of laziness when we have failed to listen for your voice. Forgive us for the times we have failed to encourage each other to faithfulness and obedience. As we rest in you today, we will listen for your voice and obey you as you lead us away from distractions and toward the people you have called us to serve. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Your time with God’s Word
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭3‬:‭12‬-‭19‬ ‭ESV

Photo by @felipepelaquim on Unsplash
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