Strengthen Your Heart

Strengthen Your Heart

Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. Hebrews 3:12

MANY JEWISH CHRISTIANS IN THE FIRST CENTURY were turning away from their belief in Jesus because of hardship and persecution. They had started out well but encountered resistance. Some of their peers rejected them. They found themselves at social and economic disadvantages. The path was harder than they expected. Some began recanting their faith and turning back to their traditions.

The writer of Hebrews reminded these believers of their history—how many complained, lost faith, and missed out on the promise on the way to the Promised Land. He unsympathetically referred to this turning away as “evil” and “unbelief.” He reminded them that faith has always been challenging, and only the persistent and patient will receive what has been promised. All the rest have traded God’s best gifts for more immediate comforts and conveniences.

That’s harsh, but it’s true. Hardship and pain generally drive people in one of two directions: deeper into faith or further away from it. Trials have a way of separating those who truly believe from those who don’t. Those who have the vision to see what lies at the end of the road will endure with faith and patience. Those who don’t, won’t. In the process, God reveals the hearts that are truly his.

Many people turn away from God’s promises because believing them feels too difficult, there are too many obstacles to overcome and too many temptations to walk away, and waiting for fulfillment can seem to take much too long. But when God works an eternal perspective into our hearts, we see the big picture. We grow strong and stay the course. We become willing to endure the problems at hand in exchange for the glory to come. We recognize the difference between what lasts and what is passing away.

Pray and believe with that perspective. When you grow weary, ask for encouragement. When you encounter trials, ask for strength. Above all, don’t develop an unbelieving heart. Hardly any of God’s promises come with an expiration date. Hang on to them in patient, resilient faith.

You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you.