There is much in the Bible about the better things God has planned for those who love Him. Today we bring to you the first in a six part series of meditations on a few of those things. In the early verses of Hebrews chapter six, the Apostle lays out the case and peril of those who enter the kingdom of God but do not progress and mature in the knowledge and ways of the kingdom, speaking of some who get stuck in the elementary class, urging them to move on to perfection (maturity); then he turns to another group that begin in the kingdom life, ones that “have tasted the heavenly gift” (verse 4) but in the heat of day and the pressure of the environment fall away and are lost, like the seed that sprouted in Jesus parable of Luke 8:6-7, 13-14. But then in verse 9 he tempers the harsh warning with a vote of confidence toward them saying, “But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation…” These are words of encouragement like those in Acts 14:22, “to continue in the faith” (cf. Colossians 1:23). These believers had apparently been very zealous for God after their conversion and loved to do good works bearing early fruit, Hebrews 6:10; but the Apostle realizes that this can change with the crowding in of other things; so he expresses his desire (this word “desire” in Hebrews 6:11 expresses the intensity of the desire, which, by the way, is also God’s desire) for them to remain diligent, keep their hope alive, “continue in the faith”, and not become sluggish (lazy), but to pursue the path of the godly examples of those who stand true and by patient endurance inherit the promises, yes the rewards, Verse 12!
Better Things
-By Rose Hill
There are better things that God has for us,
When we put in Him all of our trust.
We can enjoy the full assurance of hope,
And not just hang on to “the end of the rope”.
A spiritual sluggard we must not become,
And lose faith and trust in God as did some.
When we lean upon God and His power,
Then His wisdom and goodness upon us He will shower.
Scripture quotations are from the New King James version copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson inc. used by permission