Mon Jan 27-Spring Is Coming!

Hebrews 3:12-14 (CEB)

12 Watch out, brothers and sisters, so that none of you have an evil, unfaithful heart that abandons the living God. 13 Instead, encourage each other every day, as long as it’s called “today,” so that none of you become insensitive to God because of sin’s deception. 14 We are partners with Christ, but only if we hold on to the confidence we had in the beginning until the end.


Reflection

This coming Sunday, February 2nd, is Ground Hog Day, and I am hoping that Punxsutawney Phil comes out of his burrow and does not see his shadow so that spring comes early.  Whether you believe in Phil’s forecast or not, it’s already been a long and cold winter and I am looking forward to warmer, sunnier days!

During the cold and dark winter months, it is common for us to suffer from the winter blues and feel like the winter is never going to come to an end, that every day feels the same. By Ground Hog Day the excitement, hope, and joy of Christmas and refreshing chance for a new start on New Year’s might seem like distant memories. We wonder if spring is ever going to come. Similarly in our faith journeys, we can at times go through a “winter” season in which we find it difficult to connect with God and see how God is at work in our lives. During these seasons we may be wrestling with the deception of sin and starting to wonder if God is ever going to come.

In many ways the author of the Letter of Hebrews, seems to have been warning this community of Jewish converts of giving into the “winter” season they were experiencing in their faith journeys and abandoning their faith in Jesus. The authorship and date of Hebrews’ writing is not certain, however it is widely believed that this letter was written by a person who had neither been with Jesus during his early ministry, nor received special revelation directly from the risen Lord. Yet he firmly believed that salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ.  As the author wrote in the letter, he cannot ignore this message of salvation through faith in Jesus because “it was first announced through the Lord, and then it was confirmed by those who heard him.” (2:3) As we can see in the passage we have read today, the author is calling this community to encourage each other every day, so that no one gives into the deception of sin and gives up the hope and confidence we have in Jesus. 

Winter may seem long, but spring is coming!

by Manny Estevez


Prayer

God of all hope and salvation, help us to navigate the winter seasons we experience in this world. Help us to encourage each other today and every day so that instead of believing the deception of sin, we hold onto the hope and confidence we have in you today and every day, until the end. Amen.

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