Hebrews 13:4-6
Readings for this week October 30 - November 5
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Day 1 – The Marriage Bed
Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)
Scripture Reading – Hebrews 13:4
Sex and money. They can’t be escaped, in both our society today and in the ancient world into which the writer of Hebrews was speaking and in which the Hebrew congregation were living. Their society was just as sexually saturated as ours is, and so any teaching that they received will speak deeply to us in our times too. What does the writer say? Marriage is to be honoured and the sexual union of husband and wife is not one to be played around with, broken or held cheaply. No one else is to try and get in the way of it; both spouses must guard their relationship jealously (in the good sense!). To expand on a metaphor explored elsewhere in the New Testament, they are to be as committed to each other as Christ is to his church. Such a stance would have been counter-cultural back then and remains counter-cultural today, yet the author of Hebrews says this commitment should be a hallmark of all marriages of disciples of Christ.
We know how powerful sex – and the allure of sex – can be, and we know how destructive its abuse can be too; look what treating sex as a toy, a commodity, has done to our society and so many of its people. God will judge those who treat sex as a plaything – and so much of that judgement has already come to pass here and now, in broken lives, shattered families, degraded and abused bodies and souls. Sex is a gift from God, part of his plan for the joyous bonding of husband and wife. The people of a holy God are called to hold sex wholly within its proper context.
Question to Consider
Why is purity so important in this context? How do we practically maintain faithfulness and commitment in marriage?
Prayer
Lord God, help us all live counter-cultural lives of purity and faithfulness. May we always model the true humanity you have called us to so that all can see the joy you want for us all. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)
Day 2 – Money
Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)
Scripture Reading – Hebrews 13:5
Whatever good money and wealth can do – and it can; let’s not kid ourselves about that – it should not be what we ultimately put our trust in. It can get us out of some scrapes, but it cannot bail us out of all of life’s problems. It can alleviate some issues, but it cannot solve all problems. It can provide shelter, but it cannot keep us safe. It can provide a greater level of comfort and security and can shield us from so many of the problems and hardships and vagaries of life – but therein also lies the danger. It is so easy to be sucked into believing that it is our money and wealth and position that affords us such a safe ride, and therefore fail to live in a way that shows a reliance on God for all that we are and all that we have.
Such a mindset also separates and shields us from the lives of those who do not have money and the power that goes with it, and therefore do not have the luxury of ignoring so many of the travails of life that we need never think about. God wants the best for every single human life; he calls us to be a channel for bringing freedom and human flourishing to all people everywhere, but especially the powerless and forgotten – something we cannot do if we believe that it is our wealth that saves us and protects us. Solidarity with the poor – lived and embodied solidarity that moves past lip-service, through empathy, and out into action – is a key practice of those who call Jesus Lord.
Question to Consider
How do we protect ourselves from falling prey to the lure of wealth and money? What safeguards are there?
Prayer
Loving Lord, help me see my money as yours and my wallet as a channel for human flourishing – and not just my own, but friends and strangers too. Show me how to be generous. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)
Day 3 – Being Content
Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)
Scripture Reading – Proverbs 30:7-9
As followers of Jesus we are to be content with what we have; in a society that is always telling us we haven’t got enough, we need to learn to be content by having confidence in the power of God to aid us in facing all circumstances that life can throw at us. The love of money can enslave us to a false God that promises deliverance but actually produces bondage. The Bible warns us that wealth is dangerous because when we have plenty we can forget both God and the poor. The Bible teaches that poverty traps people in dehumanising relationships, suffering and sin, none of which are God’s plan.
God wants us to trust him, be content, and give when people are in need. He wants us to live simply and generously. When simplicity and generosity are held together then we are free to share a life of equality and celebration. The secret of true, deep joy comes from imitating Jesus, conforming our life to the pattern of Christ’s life, and serving others in love, no matter the situation, heedless of the cost. We need to be wholly centred on Christ, and wholly infused with joy and contentment, a joy not dependent on circumstance or wealth or possessions, but that transcends circumstance and looks to God as the source of all life and joy. We must not focus on money, or on any money troubles and the anxiety that can bring, but on Christ, the true source of all joy and the greatest, most precious gift we have, one that is to be given away to all people at all times.
Question to Consider
How can we cultivate contentment in a society that constantly promotes consumerism? How do we live financially counter-cultural lives?
Prayer
Gracious God, show me how to be content and to rely on you for all my needs, seeking your will for my life and my wallet. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)
Day 4 – Love of Money
Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)
Scripture Reading – 1 Timothy 6:10
“How much money is enough? Just a little bit more.” “Anyone who says money can’t buy you happiness, doesn’t know where to shop.” Currently one of the (supposedly) richest men in the world is under criminal investigation for illegally inflating his worth and the worth of his property and assets. However many hundreds of millions his assets may have actually been worth, apparently it wasn’t enough. He needed it all to be worth more. That is the type of world we in the West live in at the moment: one that still chases after monumental wealth; one in which we prefer to compare ourselves to millionaires and billionaires and call ourselves poor, rather than realise that we have so much more than many millions of people and are actually rich.
All for the love of money and the peace and security it supposedly brings. Just a little bit more and I’ll be safe, comfortable, happy. Just a little bit more and I can start being generous. Just a little bit more…and suddenly we’re living a life in bondage to money and wealth, rather than one wholly submitted to God. The good news is that Jesus is the way and he is a different way. We don’t have to – and as his followers absolutely shouldn’t – live this way. The selfish pursuit of wealth is displeasing to him as it should be for us. Reliance on God to supply what we need, generosity to others at all times, and working to bring freedom and dignity and to “the least of these,” regardless of cost. Love is to be shared and spent, not rationed and withheld.
Question to Consider
What should our attitude be towards money? How does the Bible say we should use money? What is its purpose?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, guard my heart against the love of money. May I be generous with what you have given me, not fettered by it. Amen.
Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)
Day 5 – God on Our Side
Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)
Scripture Reading – Hebrews 13:6
Up to this point in chapter 13, the writer has given his readers direct practical instructions on how to live faithfully as followers of Jesus, highlighting the importance of love, hospitality, purity and contentment. Contentment requires trusting in God to provide our needs, not chasing after the things that we think will help us. We need to rely on God, not on sex and money and power and all that society tells us they can provide. Because relying on these things is to deny that God is the Lord of our life, that he is the source of all things, and that we are truly reliant on him. After all, he has promised he is always with us, that he will not forsake us, and that he will complete the work he has begun in us. If he’s on our side, what more could we possibly ask for?
It can be easy to forget this in a crisis, or even when life seems easy and God less necessary. But it is a vital point to remember. God loves us. He is on our side, promising to work through us in furtherance of his kingdom work of restoration and renewal. If the Creator of the cosmos says he will care for us and work out all things for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28), then what reason could we have to be fearful? Faithfulness – one of the main themes of the book of Hebrews – is the way we show God that we are taking him seriously. Grateful worship is how we show our love for him.
Question to Consider
What does relying on God look like in your life? What difference does knowing God is for us make to your decision making?
Prayer
Almighty Father, thank you for being there for us and always being by our side, when things are both good and bad. May we be worthy of your compassion and love in all we do in your name. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)