Of course we all know that the preacher should preach to himself first and foremost. Although that might take the form of conviction – recognizing your own sin and need for forgiveness and change – it can take other forms as well.
The past few weeks have been times of grief and uncertainty in many respects. We’ve prayed with friends who are caring for family members with cancer. And twice, in just the past few days, friends of ours here have lost a parent. In fact, today I’ll probably being going to speak at a funeral.
In our own little world there has been uncertainty as well. For example, our landlord is anxious to sell our house, so people have been coming to see it. It may not happen – or we may be packing over Christmas. Also, dealing with health issues. Uncertainty.
But God has ways of bringing encouragement in the middle of all this. And although I hope that last week’s Sunday service was an encouragement to others, it was the preparation of it that spoke to me.
The passage we were studying was the last part of Hebrews, a very personal section that includes this beautiful blessing:
Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Hebrews 13:20-21
Great themes here, themes which we have immersed ourselves in over the past year as we’ve studied Hebrews. The peace that we have with God through His Son. And although this peace is a promise of forgiveness to everyone who “draws near” to Christ, there is also a peace that we experience in our lives. That peace comes through many things – circumstances, the prayers of others, the help and support of others, God’s Word.
But in the end, there is something about that peace, I think, that you can never explain to an unbeliever. Because it is a peace you simply have to experience for yourself.
We need that good shepherd, and we have Him. We have an eternal covenant, through His blood. And we have the promise of interior and exterior change in our lives through Jesus Christ.
Even the songs we sang on Sunday spoke to these promises. The Shepherd of Psalm 23. The example of Jesus’ own suffering, and the promise of His return to end all suffering. He will sustain me and hold me fast in all this, because He loves me.
These themes were not planned because we knew that many of us would be going through challenging times. But God can bring peace through his providential arrangements, and I pray that He did that this past Sunday.
May this blessing be yours today!
