A Word from Hebrews 13

When was the last time you were blessed? Now, please understand; I’m not asking, “When was the last time something good happened to you?” Nor am I asking, “When was the last time somebody said, ‘Bless you,’ when you sneezed, or ‘Bless your heart,” when did something foolish?” No, I’m asking, “When was the last time that somebody looked you square in the face; and then, from the bottom of their heart, spoke into your life their deepest longings for God’s Spirit to be at work in you?”

My guess is that most of us don’t get blessed like that very often. And that’s unfortunate! Because if we know the story of the Bible, we should probably be aware that blessing plays a key role. And in today’s word from Hebrews 13, there’s a blessing that I’d like to speak into your life.

Now, this blessing comes at the very end of Hebrews—a book that’s filled with encouragement about the new covenant in Christ—and filled with warning about the dangers of losing sight of that covenant amid all the stresses of life. But in his parting words, the teacher of Hebrews says this:

“Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever.” (13:20-21)

So today, may you be equipped. May you know that God is at work in you. And may you have opportunity to speak blessing into the life of somebody else; so that through you God’s ancient promise that we’ll be “blessed to be a blessing” will come to pass. Amen.