Prophetic Prospective Daily Devotional

In the passage for our devotional reading today we learn about one of the crowns we shall receive at the "Judgment Seat of Christ". It is the "crown of life," spoken of in our key verse, verse 12. The promise is that we are qualified to receive this "crown of life" if when we are tempted or tested, we endure the temptation and not yield to it. This is a great promise to each of us because each of us will face temptation in the future.

We could conclude our devotional for today, close the Bible and go away rejoicing over the "crown of life" we have coming to us. But wait, there is much more in our reading for today. Let me mention a few blessings for us in this portion of God's precious Word.

There is a way to have "joy", not happiness based upon happenings, but joy based upon Him. He says count it all joy when we are tested; we must know that this testing is for the development of our "patience". Oh how I need patience, and I want it right now!

Remember, the testing, which works out patience is for developing us into mature and complete Christians, verse 4. In addition to becoming a mature, complete Christian through testing and patience, we can receive from Him, "wisdom". All we have to do is ask Him for wisdom. He will give it to us who ask Him for it.

Have you noticed how we are prepared to receive that "crown of life" for enduring and not yielding to temptation? We start by first being confronted by temptation, which makes us patient, mature and complete in Christ.

After He has provided for us to be prepared to face and stand up to temptation, He gives us a crown for doing what He has prepared for us to do. Our Lord is preparing and providing all we will need when we face Him at the Judgment Seat of Christ. What a wonderful Lord He is to us.

I have come to the conclusion that Paul wrote the book of Hebrews, but I won't argue with you about it. The truth is that whoever the human penman was, the Holy Spirit "breathed" the Word into the author. This reality helps me to realize that God is the one speaking to me through this human scribe.

With that in mind, I now approach today's devotional reading, the key verse and the extended reading, with a heart that must be receptive to God's instructions, correction, doctrine and all that is good for me so that I can be the man of God He wants me to be in our world today.

I don't have to guess about how He wants me to live each day of my life. As I read this passage I am instructed, exhorted and encouraged as I read. I must continue in "brotherly love", verse 1. I could have the opportunity to entertain angels, thinking they were strangers, verse 2.

God has given me, and my wife of 61 years, something "honorable", marriage. I should not live a life of "wanting" but be "content" because all my needs are met by Him, the one who will not forsake me, verse 5.

I will not fear what man can do to me, verse 6. The Lord tells me to honor, remember those who have the "rule over me", verse 7. Those over me are responsible to God for their "watch-care" over me.

Verse 9 exhorts us to be not carried away by every whim of "doctrine". God uses "doctrine", in His Word, to teach me through His Word. Every instruction, exhortation and promise is because of verse 8.

The great promise of this chapter is that Jesus, the Son of God, the Messiah, is the very same every day; yesterday, today, and everyday in the future.

There's one last verse to ponder, verse 14. This old world can offer us no great city; however, there is one that can do everything that "we seek to come", that New Jerusalem, Revelation 21.

I can't even begin to tell you of that "coming city", all that I can say is that the "New Jerusalem", the "city to come", is better than anything in this present world.

The instructions in our devotional reading for today are those activities that will help us make preparations for that "city to come".

Today, as I read through the extended passage for our devotional, I realized again how practical the Word of God is for us as we travel the pathway of our lives on our journey to go to be with Jesus Christ, forever.

This passage in Hebrews is especially practical and prophetic, as well. I'm sure you will be able to pick up on how many practical truths you can find in these fifteen verses. I'll only highlight a few so that we can rejoice together on how the Lord inspires men to record His Word for us to appropriate daily, for our lives to be lived in His power and His strength.

Verses 5-11 discuss how the "Lord's chastening" can be such a blessing to each of us. Seven times in these seven verses Paul writes about how the Lord will correct us, and in fact, he says in verse 8, that if we "be without chastisement then we are not sons we are illegitimate children".

The writer of Hebrews encourages us with the truth that "whom the Lord loves, He chasteneth", verse 6. Verse 10 tells us that the Lord's correction is "for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness".

However, at the same time, Paul tells us that "no chastising for the present seems to be joyous", but if we are exercised by the chastisement it "yields the fruit of righteousness", verse 11, within our lives.

Just reading this passage almost makes me want to be "chastised" because of the blessing it is to those of us who know Him as Lord and Saviour. Verses 12-15 details how we then live as a result of His chastisement.

Go back with me now to verses 1 and 2. What wonderful truth in these two verses. Paul's exhortation is for us to "lay aside every weight and sin which so easily besets us."

We then take off and run the race that is set before us, and we are to "run with patience", this race. I believe we run the race in front of the "heavenly grandstands" as the "witnesses" already in the heavenlies are watching, verse 1.

Then, we are to "look to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, who went to the cross with a 'joyful heart' even though He despised the 'shame of death' on the cross, and is now 'seated' at the right hand of the throne of God."

Notice, Jesus Christ is not on "His throne" but seated on the Father's throne, at His right hand. Jesus will sit on His own throne during the "thousand year Kingdom", a throne that will be located in the Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, in the future.

We are not today in the Kingdom Period, Jesus is not on His throne and God has not yet given Him dominion over all of Creation. That is yet to come. It is a prophecy of God's Word, Daniel 7:13-14, that will be fulfilled.

As we come to our devotional reading for today we will be presented with the "Hall of Fame" of men and women of "faith". I want you to notice that the first six men mentioned in the "Hall of Fame" have an interesting connection to Bible prophecy as well as to "faith".

Our passage starts with the definition of "faith", "it's the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen", verse 1. This is a very important statement about "faith". Notice, it is the "evidence of things not seen".

We don't have to, and in fact, we should not see the things we are "hoping for". Many people say, "show me and I'll believe", the Bible says "believe without seeing". By the way, Romans says, "Faith cometh by hearing, not seeing, and hearing by the Word of God", Romans 10:17.

It's the truth of the Word of God that is the basis for "faith", not things seen. In our extended reading for today, verses 1-21, we see six men who were "men of faith" and also have a unique connection to Bible prophecy.

"Abel", verse 4, was a son of Adam that by "faith" offered a "more excellent sacrifice" looking into the future and the ultimate sacrifice, Jesus Christ. "Enoch", verse 5, was a great preacher, Jude 14, and was one of two men who never died. This makes him one of the two witnesses during the Tribulation Period, along with Elijah.

I say this based upon the three and a half years of ministry for these two witnesses as detailed in Revelation 11:3-12. These two witnesses will die, be resurrected and taken into heaven. This truth from Revelation must be coupled with Hebrews 9:27.

"Noah", verse 7, was another great preacher, with not real good results, he only had seven people believe him. His wife, his three sons and the three wives of his sons. Jesus mentioned in His prophetic "Olivet Discourse" that the return of our Lord will take place at a time when it is like the "days of Noah", Matthew 24:37.

"Abraham", verses 8-19, the "father of faith" is a "man of faith" that plays a key role in Bible prophecy, as it relates to the Jewish people. The Lord promised Abraham, "in the Abrahamic Covenant" that the Jews would be a nation forever and have a land forever, Genesis 12 and 15.

Abraham's son and grandson, "Isaac" and "Jacob", are the "son and grandson of promise". It was through these three patriarchs that God focuses all of Bible prophecy. God made promises to these three, to be fulfilled, in the future. These promises must be fulfilled.

Notice how "faith" plays a role in "things to come", verse 20. I have barely touched the "hem of the garment" of blessings you can receive from this passage on "faith", and the "personalities of prophecy". Please spend more time in this passage, as we await the shout from Jesus for us to join Him in the heavenlies.

PRAYER THOUGHT: Thank you Lord for these "men of faith" in the past. Help me to be a "man of faith" in the present, as I look to the future... by "faith".