Saturday night we watched Pastor John Piper’s sermon live through the Desiring God live-streaming. He preached on Hebrews 3:12-15:
12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. 15 As it is said,
“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”
Piper’s sermon impacted us in many ways but one of the significant ways it hit me was to give me a deeper understanding of God’s call to write. I can’t begin to recount the fear that grips me sometimes in the middle of the night, the discouragement, the spiritual warfare, the feelings of inadequacy. I wonder what good I can possibly be doing—there are thousands of voices out there probably articulating Christ way better than I am. Who do I think that I am? (You are now getting a peek in how I wrestle with God sometimes.) The answer to all my questions, the response to my small faith, the assurance that this is not from me but from HIM has always been:
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”
2 Cor. 1:3-4
For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
2 Cor. 4:6
The Lord’s answer to me in all my wrestling with “why” has always been: For the comfort of those in affliction and for his glory.
How can I refuse my Lord? If I was blood bought, as Piper has said so many times, how can I refuse the calling of my Lord?
Yesterday through Piper’s exposition of Hebrews 3:12-15 there was movement in my soul into the deeper purposes of God: God uses us to help each other persevere. Encouraging one another so that we are not hardened by the deceitfulness of sin, is one of our most important jobs as brothers and sisters in Christ. This one-anothering, whether it is in our local communities or in our online communities, is a means by which the Lord works in his Church for his glory and for the good of his people.
The deeper perspective then, is that we should be for each other—for the good of one another, just like our Father is for doing us good (Jeremiah 32:40). We should be rooting for each other’s spiritual growth, rebuking sin with grace, love and firmness, stopping the scoffing, sneering, judgmental attitudes, humbly give of our gifts and talents for the good of each other and whatever else is in line with the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Luma – I just loved this post! All the more I have come to learn that we all need to live in community! There were far too many years where I thought I could go it alone and I ended up so lost and sideways! Our family is involved in a Community Group that meets for three months in a row where we “do life together” and then take a one month break. Several times now during those breaks my husband and I have been left flailing around because we don’t have people speaking into our lives. So now we make a point to fill those off months purposly spending time with others.
I can’t tell how wonderful the online community has been! I really believe God used them to redirect my life! I love what you have to share and because our church experiences are similar I often feel like you’ve been in my head thinking my thoughts!
Please keep writing!!
I’m so glad the Lord is using what you are reading online to grow you. What you are doing to be deliberate in seeking community is very important. Isolation can kill the gospel in our hearts.
God bless you and your family.
The call to write… it can be intimidating can’t it? I feel the same way, like one small voice among many. But I have to keep reminding myself that we follow Jesus and obey his call anyway. Then we trust him to do what he wants with our efforts! The joy comes not so much from the “results” we see but the simple act of obeying the one who called us.
Amen to that!
Please keep writing, Luma. I have been ministered to by your posts many times. One time recently was when you spoke of fear and worrying if losing it with your children might be their future downfall. Oh, how I can relate! God has used your posts to speak to me of grace and mercy and the awesomeness that He is. Thank you.
Thank you for such a kind and encouraging comment. It is definitely confirmation to what I see the Lord doing.