SPIRITUAL
DIARY
Date: 02-20-03
My
Worship Time Focus: Withdrawing from the
Word of God
Bible
Reading & Meditation Reference: Hebrews 5:11
1. Message of the verse: “Concerning him we have much to say, and it
is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.” (NASB)
“There is so much more we would like to say about this. But you don’t seem to listen, so it’s hard to
make you understand.”
The writer
has just mentioned that Jesus Christ was a priest after the line of Melchizedek
in the verse before this one and probably desired to go on and write further on
the subject of the priesthood of Jesus Christ, but he felt that these believers
were unable to understand this because they were not making as much progress in
their walk with the Lord as they should have been. In this section, (5:11-6:20) the writer will
give deal with three topics that deal with spiritual maturity. The first one tells four marks of spiritual
immaturity, with the first one in the verse speaking of their dullness or
slothfulness to the Word of God. The
word for dull is translated in 6:12 as slothful, which refers to “a condition
of spiritual apathy and laziness that prevents spiritual development.” (From
“Be Confident”)
There are
many places in the Scriptures which speak of the benefits of the Word of God
such as the 176 verses of Psalm 119.
However the writer of this letter has already written about the dullness
of his readers concerning the Word of God in Hebrews two, and verses one
through four which says: “ 1 For this
reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift
away from it.2 For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and
every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense, 3 how shall we
escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken
through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, 4 God also bearing
witness with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by
gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.” This section was speaking of drifting from
the Word of God and in Hebrews 3:7—4:13 the writer speaks of doubting the Word
of God. In Acts 17: 10-12 we read of the
people from Berea who had the right ideas about the Word of God. “ Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and
Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue
of the Jews. These were more fair-minded
than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness,
and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were
so. Therefore many of them believed, and
also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men.”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: I know that sin will keep me from wanting to
read the Word of God, when at that time it is truly what I need for in it, it
tells me that “If you confess your sin He is faithful and just to forgive your
sin and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness.” The Word of God has all I need to show me how
I should live while on this earth and I need to make every effort to be in it
and study it as much as I can every day that God lends me air to breath.
The Word of God was challenging to my heart as I read it
this morning.
My
Steps of Faith Today: To
have a good season of prayer, praying for my family, my church family, and the
things that concern my nation. I would
like to get hold of Dick Vernon to invite him to our Bible Study, but first I
want to pray about it.
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