Day 5

Scripture to Read: Hebrews 12:14-17

We need to ask ourselves the question, “What do we pursue daily?” This reveals to us where our true heart is, that is, where our passion is focused. God’s desire for us is that we are passionate about Him and His Word. God starts Hebrews 12:14 with “Pursue peace with all men…” Pursuing peace means we willingly look out for others more than we look out for ourselves. Pursuing peace with others is hard work because we are bent toward our selfish, self-motivated desires. We are also to pursue sanctification, which means we are to pursue living holy lives. Our lives are to reflect our Lord Jesus Christ, so to live holy means we are also choosing to avoid the former lusts which were ours when we were lost. We choose to crucify our selfish, self-motivated desires because if we’re not holy then we are still lost in our sin. We must also share Christ’s love, grace, and mercy with everyone. God does not want anyone to miss out on His gift of grace. So, we need to pursue the lost and share with them the gift God offers to them so that they can be with Him too. God even uses the illustration of Esau, who sold his birthright for nothing more than a meal. When Esau tried to get back what he willingly gave up, there was no way to change the choice that Esau had made. Repentance is offered to all, but some will choose the temporary pleasures of this world instead and their decision will cost them for eternity.

Challenge & Application

1. How are you pursuing peace daily with everyone in your life? 2. Who will pursue to share the Good News of Christ with this week?

Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!

Devotionals from this week

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Day 1

God and His Word are so incredibly awesome. We learn, grow, mature, are challenged, and are transformed, all from Him and His Word. God begins, in Hebrews 12:1, reminding us of all the saints He just laid out before us in Hebrews 11. God tells us, since all of these saints lived out their faith in Him even through the tests, trials, and tribu...

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Day 2

God begins Hebrews 12:3 telling us to deeply consider everything our Lord Jesus Christ went through on our behalf: that Christ was punched in the face by the guards whom He created. Christ was hit in the face so many times that He was unrecognizable as a man. His face would have swelled from the beating, making Him unrecognizable; that Christ...

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Day 3

As we consider God’s loving discipline of us, God led the writer to compare His discipline to our earthly parents’ discipline. For some people, earthly parents’ discipline went too far and it turned into abuse. Our Heavenly Father NEVER uses His discipline to abuse His children. But, there are others who have loving parents and that is where ...

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Day 4

We know God lovingly disciplines all His children as we read about in yesterday’s devotion. Today God reminds us that if our hands are weak and tired, we need to lift our hands, we need to get a new grip, and we need to strengthen our hands. This is a direct quote from Isaiah 35:3, which says, “Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeb...

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Day 5

We need to ask ourselves the question, “What do we pursue daily?” This reveals to us where our true heart is, that is, where our passion is focused. God’s desire for us is that we are passionate about Him and His Word. God starts Hebrews 12:14 with “Pursue peace with all men…” Pursuing peace means we willingly look out for others more than we...

Read

Day 6

God, in Hebrews 12:18-21, has the writer of Hebrews share about the fear the Israelites had of God when God showed up on Mount Sinai (read these chapters for background Exodus 19; Exodus 20; Deuteronomy 4; Deuteronomy 5). We now God is awesome, and even though we have never seen God, we see the awesomeness of His power and majesty in all crea...

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Day 7

God begins Hebrews 12:25 today with a warning. God warns us all that we MUST listen to Him. Of course, why would we not listen to our Creator, King, and Lord? God created us, He knows what is best for us, but none-the-less there are millions today who choose NOT to listen to our Mighty King. Everyone who chooses NOT to listen to God will suff...

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