Learning Obedience through Suffering

Our Love for God

Loving God by Trusting Christ

Devote All to Christ

Hebrews 5:1-10 The Message

5 1-3 Every high priest selected to represent men and women before God and offer sacrifices for their sins should be able to deal gently with their failings, since he knows what it’s like from his own experience. But that also means that he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins as well as the peoples’.
4-6 No one elects himself to this honored position. He’s called to it by God, as Aaron was. Neither did Christ presume to set himself up as high priest, but was set apart by the One who said to him, “You’re my Son; today I celebrate you!” In another place God declares, “You’re a priest forever in the royal order of Melchizedek.”
7-10 While he lived on earth, anticipating death, Jesus cried out in pain and wept in sorrow as he offered up priestly prayers to God. Because he honored God, God answered him. Though he was God’s Son, he learned trusting-obedience by what he suffered, just as we do. Then, having arrived at the full stature of his maturity and having been announced by God as high priest in the order of Melchizedek, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who believingly obey him.

For Reflection

None of us are perfect. From time to time, we all suffer the consequence of our human condition and frailties.  It is when we are frustrated the most that we turn to God. We expect God to solve our problems and complain when a divine intervention does not occur.

But all of us are complete in the eyes of God. We have been born with the capacity to endure and conquer life's curve balls. We can choose how we will respond. Shall we lose sight of the dancing ball, swing, and miss? Or do we glue our attention to the direction we want the ball to go when hit?

Pray

Pray so that you will be more able to handle the twists of human life.  Pray so that you can anticipate the promise of a loving God that all things will work for good.

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