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Hebrews 10:23 - Hope Is Secure Because God Is Faithful.

Hebrews 10:23 (NKJV) Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

Hebrews 10:23 (ESV) Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

Hebrews 10:23 (AMP) So let us seize and hold fast and retain without wavering the hope we cherish and confess and our acknowledgement of it, for He Who promised is reliable (sure) and faithful to His word.

Hebrews 10:23 (MSG) Let's keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word.

CONTEXT

We have significant privileges associated with our new life in Christ: (1) We have personal access to God through Christ and can draw near to him without an elaborate system (10:22); (2) we may grow in faith, overcome doubts and questions, and deepen our relationship with God (10:23); (3) we may enjoy motivation from one another (10:24); (4) we may worship together (10:25). [Life Application SB]

COMMENTARY PEARL

   It is our privilege, as children of God, to hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering. At times the masterly power of temptation seems to tax our will power to the uttermost, and to exercise faith seems utterly contrary to all the evidences of sense or emotion; but our will must be kept on God's side. We must believe that in Jesus Christ is everlasting strength and efficiency ... Hour by hour we must hold our position triumphantly in God, strong in His strength...
   All things are possible to them that believe. Since God is working in you, you can safely set your face as a flint to do His will, and you may trust the Lord perfectly...
   You must make a daily, personal consecration of all to God, You must daily renew your covenant to be His wholly and forever. Place no dependence upon changeable feelings, but plant your feet upon the sure platform of the promises of God: Thou hast said it; I believe the promise. This is an intelligent faith.
   Your feelings will be troubled as you see some pursuing a course contrary to the principles of Christ; trials and tests of faith will come to you; but I entreat you to look only to Jesus, and allow none of these things to harden your heart, or to cause darkness or unbelief. Let nothing cause your faith to fail. Live as in the sight of God. Talk with Jesus as you would speak with a friend. He is ready to help you in the sorest trial; He is with you in the gravest perplexity...
   A feeling of assurance is not to be despised; we should praise God for it; but when your feelings are depressed, do not think that God has changed. Praise Him just as much, because you trust in His word, and not in feelings. You have covenanted to walk by faith, not to be controlled by feelings. Feelings vary with circumstances.
   Walk before God by faith, and rest fully upon His promises. Jesus says, "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." Matthew 28:20. {OHC 124}

COMMENTARY

A Gift To The World
   For decades the world has marveled at a once crown jewel - the Hope Diamond - the dazzling, blue 45-carat gem with an estimated value of 0 million. Its owner donated the historic treasure to the Smithsonian Museum as "a gift to the world." Solitary, it sits encased by thick bulletproof glass.
   What hope does this rare stone bring to the peoples of the world? While it is grand in glory, it is untouchable; valuable but not priceless; a gift to the world but protected from the world, locked for safekeeping.
   Is hope for you locked up, inaccessible, untouchable?
   Maybe you are longing for hope and cannot find it. If so, dedicate yourself to the pursuit of hope that brings certainty if we embrace it. You see, it is not kept from you, locked away in a museum. It is made available and comes to you as hope from above. It is not a futuristic aspiration; it is a faith builder. Hope is an unseen commodity that pays dividends while we still live.
   Do you feel hopeful or discouraged? [Peace for Each Day by Billy Graham]

Confident Hope
   Hope in the Christian's life is not wishful thinking. It is confident expectation. Those without Christ may wish things were different and wish they knew someone who could change their situations. The Christian is personally related to the Lord of the universe, who is sovereign not only over all creation but also over every circumstance we experience. We can live with confidence because our hope is in One who is faithful. When God speaks, He stands by His word to see that it comes to pass (Is 55:11).
   When God speaks a word to you, trust Him completely, for God never deceives His children. If God has indicated to you that He is going to do something, you can be absolutely confident that He will do it.
   Do you wonder why unrighteous people seem to prosper while righteous people suffer? Jesus promised that each would eventually receive a just reward (Lu 16:19-31). Do you wonder if all the effort you have put into training your children in God's ways will bear fruit when they become adults? God promised it would (Pr 22:6). Do you wonder if the things you renounced when you became a Christian will be replaced by God's blessings? Jesus assured us we would receive a hundred times as much (Mk 10:29-30). Do you doubt that Jesus will return and join us with those who have already died? Scripture indicates this certainty (1Th 4:13-18).
   Our hope is not mere speculation in what God might do. God has given His word on many areas of life regarding things He will do. We can have confident hope in everything that He has promised. [Experiencing God Day by Day by Henry and Richard Blackaby]

Don't Let Go
   There are three golden rules to remember when you are learning to water ski. They sum up what every beginner needs to know and are the foundations on which all the other skills rest. 1) Keep your arms straight; 2) Keep your knees bent; 3) Don't let go! If your arms are bent when the boat takes off, you'll usually splash down immediately. The same is true if you don't bend your knees when you're getting up out of the water. The last rule is self-explanatory.
   These same rules illustrate the message of today's Bible promise. First, we must fully stretch out our arms to Jesus, "for He who promised is faithful." We can fully trust in Christ to pull us up and out of sin. Through the blood of Jesus, we may with "boldness ... enter the Holiest" (Hebrews 10:19) and "with a true heart in full assurance of faith" (v. 22).
   Bending our knees in prayer and submission to Christ will also keep us from wavering. Our divine connection through communion with our High Priest keeps us from faltering and falling back into the waters of sin. Prayer keeps us "looking unto Jesus" (12:2), for only Christ can "keep you from falling" (Jude 1:24 KJV).
   Finally, we are admonished to "hold fast the confession of our hope" That means don't let go of the rope! Over and over, the Bible encourages us to persevere. Jesus said, "He who endures to the end will be saved" (Matthew 10:22; 24:13). Paul told us to "continue in the faith" (Colossians 1:23) and to "not grow weary while doing good" (Galatians 6:9).
   When you face difficulties, hold onto Jesus. He will pull you through.
   Dear Jesus, by faith I will keep my eyes focused on You and believe You will lead me to Your kingdom. [The Most Amazing Bible Promises by Amazing Facts]

ILLUSTRATION

   Red, white, and blue fireworks lit the sky above the dark country road. Our family Fourth of July picnic had ended, and I was driving home alone. I gripped the wheel from curve to curve. Just as I started down a hill, my headlights caught movement up ahead.
   Boom! The road in front of my car exploded with streams of sparkling color and deafening blasts. I swerved left and then right, before driving straight into the smoke. I screeched to a terrifying stop, while a group of teenagers hee-hawed nearby.
   Like those wayward teens, the enemies of my faith would like to wreck me. They laugh and claim my biblical beliefs are closed-minded and outdated. When they whisper these insinuations in my ear, I can't swerve to the left. When they stand near and proclaim untruths, I won't swerve to the right. And when their voices grow angry and frighten me, I must never hit the brakes on the hope I have in Jesus.
   Jesus experienced relentless persecution during His thirty-three years on earth, even to the point of crucifixion. But His hope didn't waver. He stayed the course and "endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:2, NIV).
   Though worldly voices and circumstances sometimes scare me, I know that Jesus is with me. He gives me courage to hold the wheel, unswervingly, as I travel on my road of faith. Becky Alexander
   Faith Step: Identify the voices in your life that cause your hope to swerve - television, toxic people, social media, inappropriate music and books, etc. Remove what you can, and ask Jesus to help you stay the course. [Mornings With Jesus 2024 Devotional by Guideposts and Zondervan]

CLOSING THOUGHT

Secure Hope
   Let us hold firmly to the hope we claim to have. The God who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23 NIrV
   Isn't that great news? Our hope can be a confident expectation of getting what God has promised us. Hope in him will not disappoint us (Romans 5:5) because that kind of hope is in someone bigger than ourselves, bigger than whatever circumstances we're in the middle of here and now. God will do what he promised: transform us into the likeness of his Son (Romans 8:29).
   All of God's promises are faithful and true. They are like life preservers that keep us afloat no matter what. Nothing can deflate them. Nothing can drown them. God's promises are far more stable than our circumstances or our feelings. His character is pure love, and we can count on that. No matter what's going on in our lives, we can cling to the hope that we profess and weather any storms that life brings. He promises, "I will uphold you with my righteous right hand" (Isaiah 41:10).
   Place your hope on the solid rock of God's trustworthy promises. [The Daniel Plan 365-Day Devotional]

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

   Trust Me and refuse to worry, for I am your Strength and Song. You are feeling wobbly this morning, looking at difficult times looming ahead, measuring them against your own strength. However, they are not today's tasks - or even tomorrow's. So leave them in the future and come home to the present, where you will find Me waiting for you. Since I am your Strength, I can empower you to handle each task as it comes. Because I am your Song, I can give you Joy as you work alongside Me.
   Keep bringing your mind back to the present moment. Among all My creatures, only humans can anticipate future events. This ability is a blessing, but it becomes a curse whenever it is misused. If you use your magnificent mind to worry about tomorrow, you cloak yourself in dark unbelief. However, when the hope of heaven fills your thoughts, the Light of My Presence envelops you. Though heaven is future, it is also present tense. As you walk in the Light with Me, you have one foot on earth and one foot in heaven. (Exo. 15:2; 2Co. 10:5; Heb. 10:23) [Jesus Calling by Sarah Young]

Seek Me with your whole being. I desire to be found by you, and I orchestrate the events of your life with that purpose in mind. When things go well and you are blessed, you can feel Me smiling on you. When you encounter rough patches along your life-journey, trust that My Light is still shining upon you. My reasons for allowing these adversities may be shrouded in mystery, but My continual Presence with you is an absolute promise. Seek Me in good times; seek Me in hard times. You will find Me watching over you all the time. (Deuteronomy 4:29; Hebrews 10:23; Psalm 145:20) [Jesus Calling by Sarah Young]

LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY

Isaiah 40:31 - Are You Soaring or Striving?
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2024/20240520-0836.html

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT

https://abible.com/links/