Dr H Reflections

The Blind Side ∙

The Blind Side ∙

Whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone – especially to those in the family of faith. – Galatians 6:10

Proverbs 3:27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in your power to do it.

James 2:14-17

15 Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing,

16 and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well,” – but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?

17 So, you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

The Blind Side is a poignant and moving film inspired by the true story of Michael Oher. Released in 2009, it earned over $300 million at the U.S. box office. The movie features Sandra Bullock as Leigh Anne Tuohy and Quinton Aaron as Michael Oher. Leigh Anne is an unconventional Southern woman, while Michael is a large, imposing, homeless, and traumatized 17-year-old. Raised in the projects of Memphis, TN, Michael separated early from his drug-addicted mother and cycled through the foster care system, eventually becoming homeless and alone. Despite his circumstances, he attended high school and did his best to survive.

After a basketball game, the Tuohy family saw Michael, known as Big Mike, waiting for the crowd to leave so he could collect uneaten popcorn from the stands. Another day, while driving home, they noticed him walking alone in the cold without a jacket. Leigh Anne stopped the car and questioned where he was headed and why he was out in the cold without proper clothing. Realizing he had no home, she learned he was going to sleep in the warm school gym.

Deeply moved by his situation, Leigh Anne invited Michael to stay with the Tuohy family for the night. Soon after, the family decided to adopt him. This act of kindness transformed Michael’s life. He went on to become an All-American football player and a first-round NFL draft pick, enjoying a successful career as an offensive tackle for the Baltimore Ravens.

“The Blind Side” teaches several profound lessons about compassion.

1. When you have more than you need, build a longer table, not a higher fence.

The Tuohy family, owners of numerous chain restaurants, had more than enough for themselves. Leigh Anne acted out of love, opening her heart and home to Michael. She provided him with his first-ever bed and the unconditional love and security of a family. Their generosity profoundly changed both Michael’s life and their own for the better.

2. Parenting is about love, not blood or skin color.

“Families don’t have to match. You don’t have to look like someone else to love them,” said Leigh Anne Tuohy. The Tuohys understood that love transcends visual differences. They saw beyond skin color and biological ties, adopting Michael into their family because they connected with him on a deeper level and formed a deep emotional bond.

3. When a child is loved and given a chance, they can thrive.

Children can find success in life when they receive love and support from a caring family.

4. Don’t let others’ judgments stop you from helping those in need.

Leigh Anne made it clear to her friends that while she didn’t need their approval, she did expect their respect: “Look. Here’s the deal. I don’t need y’all to approve of my choices. But I do ask that you respect them. You have no idea what this boy has been through.”

5. The love of a family is forever.

The Tuohy family faced many challenges after adopting Michael, but they ensured that their love remained unconditional and everlasting. (https://understandingcompassion.com/)

REFLECT & PRAY

The Father consistently presents us with opportunities to connect with individuals who can become our neighbors.

Father, help me stay vigilant and mindful of the opportunities you offer to extend kindness and compassion to those in need.

INSIGHT

The Father set an exceptionally high standard of compassion for the children of the King to uphold. This standard is so elevated that it seems almost unattainable. The average person soon starts to rationalize and find ways to evade it.

We are called to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. The soulish mind asks, “Who is my neighbor?” For the children of the King, this is entirely the wrong question. The right question requires a significant paradigm shift. “Jesus made it very clear that the question is not ‘Who is my neighbor?’ but ‘To whom can I be a neighbor?’ “ (Wiersbe).

Luke 10:25-37

25 One day, an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”

26 Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?”

27 The man answered, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

28 “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this, and you will live!”

29 The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

30 Jesus replied with a story: A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and bandits attacked him. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road.

31 By chance, a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by.

32 A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.

33 Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him.

34 Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him.

36 Now, which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who bandits attacked? Jesus asked.

37 The man replied, The one who showed him mercy. Then Jesus said, Yes, now go and do the same.

Regrettably, our typical human reaction is often, “You’ve gotta be kidding.” However, neither the Father nor the Lord Jesus Christ is kidding! The Father continually works behind the scenes to offer the children of the King new opportunities. And to bring new neighbors into their lives. He has already scripted the plan; it is our responsibility to enact it in good faith and love.

Proverbs 3:27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in your power to do it.

“Do all the good you can, in all the ways you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can” (Wesley).

“Instead of looking for a place to quit, we should be looking for another place to start!” (Boles).

Do you have a blindside?

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Experiencing God’s presence ∙

Experiencing God’s presence ∙

My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest. – Exodus 33:14

Exodus 3:7-12

7 Then the LORD told him, “I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of distress because of their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering.”

8 “So I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt into their own fertile and spacious land. It is a land flowing with milk and honey . . ..”

9 “Look! The cry of the people of Israel has reached me, and I have seen how harshly the Egyptians abuse them.”

10 “Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.”

11 But Moses protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?”

12 God answered, “I will be with you. And this is your sign that I am the one who has sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain.”

“Life is so ironic. It takes sadness to know happiness, noise to appreciate silence, and absence to value presence” (Lessons Learned In Life).

Faith flourishes and strengthens amidst challenging circumstances. The Father’s presence in our lives lays the groundwork for our confidence and belief. He offers us security, a promising future, and hope.

When the Father assigned Moses a formidable and overwhelming task – leading the Israelites from bondage in Egypt to the Promised Land (Exodus 3:10) – Moses was filled with doubt, uncertainty, and questions. How could this untested and socially isolated shepherd meet such a challenge? The Father had a concise and straightforward answer to all of his questions.

Exodus 3:12 I will be with you.

Each child of the King is assured of the Father’s presence.

The Lord Jesus Christ promised His disciples, “I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

Sometimes, irony can be humorous. The following marketing blurb seemed ironic and somewhat whimsical. It did not communicate precisely what was intended. “Annual plans, starting at just $12 + tax or Lifetime plans, available for only a limited time.”

REFLECT & PRAY

There is no need to fear what is happening or where you are going when the Father is with you.

Father, I need help understanding Your ways and timing. Encourage me to walk by faith, not by sight, and trust You completely.

INSIGHT

Moses was profoundly unsettled and troubled by the Father’s call and directives. He looked inward and was well aware of his flaws, shortcomings, limitations, and past failures. His initial reaction was to question, “Why me?” Yet, beneath this inquiry lay another unspoken and reflective question, “If God is willing to guide me now, why didn’t He intervene before? Why is it happening at this moment?”

Moses was nearly 80 years old, and the Israelites’ cries for deliverance had echoed for centuries. The timing seemed puzzling to him. Fear, after all, can often stifle faith and cause it to fade.

In moments like these, The Father challenges us with a piercing question: “Where is your faith?” (Luke 8:25).

The author of Hebrews defines faith.

Hebrews 11:1 Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.

Faith is essential to please God and carry out His will.

Hebrews 11:6 Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

“Faith declares our weakness while it proclaims the trustworthiness of God and His complete and willing ability to do what we cannot. A lack of faith insults God even as it puts foolish confidence in ourselves” (Stanley).

Faith involves a simple dependence on God. We understand that our own strength is limited. We must rely upon Him rather than on ourselves. Often, it isn’t easy to trust others because we do not really know them, their history, and their character. We cannot trust anyone further than we know them. The apostle Peter speaks to this issue. He wants all children of the King to develop an ever-increasing knowledge of the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:2-5

2 May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.

3 By his divine power, God has given us everything we need to live a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.

4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

5 In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises.

2 Peter 1:2 May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.

Peter is making a subtle but profound statement regarding the growth of grace and peace in our lives. Grace and peace are the byproducts of increased knowledge.

However, this is not the standard Greek word for knowledge – gnosis,but rather the Greek word epignosis. Epignosis has a continuum of meanings. It often means experiential knowledge, true knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ’s nature (Thayer).

Here, it has the sense of “coming to know.” More to the point, it signifies “coming to know someone for who they really are” (Peter H. Davids). Hence, grace and peace belong to every child of the King. They are our spiritual birthright. And our experience of grace and peace increases the more we come to know the Father and Jesus our Lord.

The truth and accuracy of Scripture are the facts of faith. We stand upon them.

The Father delights in increasing the faith of the children of the King. Instead of desiring no trials before victory and no problematic circumstances to grow our patience, we should be willing to accept them from God as a means of achieving victory and developing patience. Trials, obstacles, difficulties, and sometimes defeat are what grow our faith (Mueller).

“Real faith is always increased by opposition, while false confidence is damaged and discouraged by it” (J.B. Stoney).

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Expire or retire ∙

Expire or retire ∙

I wholeheartedly followed the LORD my God. – Joshua 14:8

Numbers 14:17-24

17 Please, Lord, prove that your power is as great as you have claimed. For you said,

18 “The LORD is slow to anger and filled with unfailing love, forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion. But he does not excuse the guilty. He lays the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected – even children in the third and fourth generations.”

19 In keeping with your magnificent, unfailing love, please pardon the sins of this people, just as you have forgiven them ever since they left Egypt.

20 Then the LORD said, I will pardon them as you have requested.

21 But as surely as I live, and as surely as the earth is filled with the LORD’s glory,

22 not one of these people will ever enter that land. . ..

24 But my servant Caleb has a different attitude than the others have. He has remained loyal to me, so I will bring him into the land he explored. His descendants will possess their full share of that land.

Baby boomers have redefined retirement. Catherine Collinson states, “Baby boomers have rewritten the rules in every stage of life, and retirement is no different. They see retirement as more of a transition from full-time work.”

A fresh retirement model has emerged. Instead of working 40-60-hour weeks, boomers choose to stay active and involved on their own terms. With careful thought and planning, people are discovering ways to lead lives that keep them engaged and focused, fostering continuous growth and value.

George Burns humorously captured this sentiment: “Retire? Never! I’m going to stay in show business until I’m the only one left.”

The Father does not make promises that He does not keep. He solemnly vowed to free the nation of Israel from slavery in Egypt and lead them to a prosperous land, one flowing with milk and honey.

Exodus 3:8 So I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt into their own fertile and spacious land. It is a land flowing with milk and honey.

Yet, the Father never promised an easy journey.

With His mighty hand, He liberated the nation using ten devastating plagues and the miracle of the Red Sea. He parted the waters for Israel and destroyed Egypt’s armies. He brought them to Kadesh-Barnea, just a stone’s throw from the Promised Land.

A committee of twelve spies, one from each tribe, was chosen to secretly scout the land. Were the Father’s promises true? Was the land as He had described?

Indeed, it was true, but there was a catch. The land was filled with fortified cities, large armies, and, worst of all, giants – the descendants of Anak. We are well-acquainted with one of them, Goliath, who lived and died 400 years later during David’s time.

Two reports emerged. The majority delivered an evil report. Ten spies acknowledged the land’s splendor but emphasized the fear in their hearts, focusing on the obstacles. To them, the facts were clear: the fortifications were too formidable, and the armies too powerful.

Their exact words were, “We became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight” (Numbers 13:33).

Instead of growing in their faith, they gave in to fear.

However, Joshua and Caleb stood apart with a different spirit and delivered a good report, highlighting the Father’s promise.

Numbers 14:6-9

6 Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb . . ..

7 spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, “The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land.”

8 “If the LORD is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us– a land which flows with milk and honey.”

9 “Only do not rebel against the LORD; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them.”

Take a moment to reflect. Though their enemies were formidable, they were ultimately vulnerable because the Father, the Lord God Almighty, had stripped away their protection. He had made them defenseless.

We often forget that the kingdom of God operates as a theocracy, not a democracy. The will of the majority holds no sway with the King of eternity. The so-called “adults in the room” sided with the majority’s fearful report. The Father’s response was direct and severe: If you’re too afraid to enter the land, then you will perish in the wilderness. Problem solved.

After 40 years of wandering, the entire generation over 20 years old at the journey’s start had died, with Joshua and Caleb being the notable exceptions.

REFLECT & PRAY

Every day, the choice to follow the Lord presents itself to us, in greater or lesser degrees. Caleb shows us that ordinary individuals can possess extraordinary conviction and courage. Instead of succumbing to fear, he grew strong in faith.

Father, I acknowledge my human weaknesses. I am inclined to stray and turn away from the God I love. Yet, You have bent my heart towards You. Inspire me to follow You wholeheartedly with complete devotion.

INSIGHT

Caleb, steadfast and loyal to the Father, exemplified boldness and courage. Much like a Navy Seal, quitting was never an option for him; victory was his only path, with no plan B.

He embraced the Father’s promises and remained unwavering in his belief despite the long and challenging years spent in the wilderness. Caleb had intended to claim Canaan forty-five years ago, and his resolve had not wavered. Nothing had changed.

Joshua 14:7-12

10 “Now, as you can see, the LORD has kept me alive and well as he promised for all these forty-five years since Moses made this promise – even while Israel wandered in the wilderness. Today, I am eighty-five years old.

11 I am as strong now as I was when Moses sent me on that journey, and I can still travel and fight as well as I could then.

12 So give me the hill country that the LORD promised me.

The Father told him, “My servant Caleb because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully” (Numbers 14:24). Caleb was a profile in courage. He became mighty in war and put foreign armies to flight (Hebrews 11:34).

The Father doesn’t offer a cushy retirement plan. He prefers that we persevere actively until the end and expire on our feet rather than settle into a life of comfort.

If Caleb had a tombstone, it would read, “He followed the LORD wholeheartedly.” What would yours say?

“When we choose to ‘wholly follow’ the Lord, He will move heaven and earth, if necessary, to fulfill His good promises to us” (Stanley).

“Vision without action is merely a dream.

Action without vision just passes the time.

Vision with action can change the world” (Joel A. Barker).

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To an unknown God ∙∙

To an unknown God ∙∙

God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent me to you.” – Exodus 3:14

Acts 17:23-31

23 As I was walking along, I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: “To an Unknown God.” This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about.

24 He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in man-made temples,

25 and human hands can’t serve his needs – for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need.

27 His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him – though he is not far from any one of us.

30 God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him.

31 For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.

Would it be too far-fetched to propose that, throughout history and across various cultures, irrespective of their geographic location, most people have held some notion of God? Individuals everywhere have pondered the question, “Who or What is God?” When we refer to God, we are somewhat constrained by the English language, which uses a single word, “God,” to represent both the abstract idea of God and the person of God.

The predominant Western understanding of God is known as theism. Theism posits that there is a God who created and sustains the universe, possessing unlimited knowledge (omniscience), power (omnipotence), presence (omnipresence), and moral perfection (International Encyclopedia of Psychology).

It is crucial to distinguish the things that differ, separating the wheat from the chaff. Is there a distinction between the concept of God and the living God depicted in the Scriptures? Absolutely.

When God appeared to Moses on Mount Sinai, Moses inquired about God’s name. Moses believed in the concept of God, but he also believed in a personal God. He understood that the living, personal God was present at Sinai, revealing Himself to him.

Moses was not a pagan. As a member of the Nation of Israel, he spoke with the God of his ancestors. The truth about the living and true God had been handed down through generations via oral tradition and a few written records. These accounts detailed the accurate history of the people who lived them: men like Adam, Noah, Abraham, and Jacob. However, these stories had yet to be compiled and written in Hebrew. That was a yet future project still on the Father’s drawing board. At the right moment, Moses would be assigned to gather and document these narratives in a book that would eventually be named Genesis.

Driven by curiosity and caught up in the moment, Moses found himself in direct contact with the God of his fathers. He was coming to terms with the living, personal God. Heretofore, He was known as “He-Who-Has-No-Name” (The Ten Commandments) or simply “The Unknown God.” Moses needed to know God’s name because the people would eventually ask him. How would Moses answer them? God revealed His name to Moses: “I AM WHO I AM. Tell them that I AM [Yahweh] sent you.”

Persons have names; abstract concepts of God do not. The Father God revealed in the Scriptures is not merely a force, idea, or higher power. He is a personal being who can be known, loved, and experienced through a personal relationship.

Exodus 3:13-14

13 Then Moses said to God, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?”

14 God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent me to you.”

Moses came to know the name of the personal God: I AM [Yahweh]. Through Moses’ writings, the name Yahweh has been preserved and passed down through the millennia to all who believe and seek a personal relationship with Him.

In contrast, those who hold only an abstract concept of God are not concerned about names. After all, why would they be? They are dealing with an idea, not a person.

REFLECT & PRAY

“Nothing twists and deforms the soul more than a low or unworthy conception of God” (A.W. Tozer)

Father, thank You for being more than an idea, a man-made concept. Thank You for recognizing and forgiving my ignorance and seeking me out.

INSIGHT

The ancient Greeks were renowned for their extensive pantheon of gods, with names that remain familiar in Western culture today: Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Athena, Apollo, Aphrodite, Hermes, and Hades. However, their understanding of divinity was significantly flawed. They worshipped numerous gods, but what if they overlooked one? To ensure they didn’t offend any deity they were unaware of, the Athenians constructed an altar dedicated “To an Unknown God.”

When Paul addressed the Athenians, he used this altar as a point of connection. It provided a shared reference and common ground, allowing him to introduce the true and living Father God and His Son, Jesus Christ. Paul adeptly used their concept of an unknown deity as a bridge to explain the personal God, seizing the opportunity to convey his faith.

Acts 17:23-27

23 I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about.

24 He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth . . .

25 and human hands can’t serve his needs – for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need.

27 His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him – though he is not far from any one of us.

“On the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome, there are the tremendous frescoes by Michelangelo. Among them is the magnificent picture of the creation of man. God is reaching out His finger, and man, just having been created, reaches out to God as well. But their fingers do not touch. This is a true Christian insight” (Francis A. Schaeffer).

The Father God of Scripture is personal yet infinite, close at hand yet distant. Being a person, He thinks and feels and seeks to enter into a personal relationship with sentient creatures made in His image. Anyone can have a personal relationship with the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ.

The apostle Paul sought to know Him.

Philippians 3:10 That I may know Him.

“A literal rendering of to know Christ is liable to be misunderstood as merely ‘knowing about Christ.’ Accordingly, in some languages, it may be preferable to translate this phrase as ‘to experience Christ,’ or even as ‘to be associated with Christ’” (UBS).

Knowing Christ isn’t about mastering theoretical or theological knowledge; it’s about developing such deep intimacy with Him that we become as united with Him as we are with our loved ones on earth, sharing in His experiences just as we share in theirs. (Barclay).

Believing in God is good. But it is not good enough for eternity!

Knowing about Him is not enough. He created us to know Him, and He seeks us out.

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Retrogression∙∙

Retrogression ∙∙

We must pay much closer attention to what we have heard so that we do not drift away from it. – Hebrews 2:1

Hebrews 5:11-14

11 You have become dull of hearing.

12 You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food.

13 For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right.

14 Solid food is for those who are mature, who, through training, have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.

Planetary motion refers to the way planets move in the sky relative to the stars. Typically, planets travel from west to east against the starry backdrop, a movement known as prograde motion. This is the regular, forward motion we observe most of the time.

However, there are periods when this movement appears to reverse direction, and the planets seem to move from east to west. This phenomenon is called retrograde motion. Despite how it looks, retrograde motion is not an actual change in the planet’s orbit. Instead, it is an optical illusion caused by the relative positions and movements of Earth and the other planets as they orbit the Sun.

Think of it like two cars on a racetrack. If a faster car overtakes a slower one, from the perspective of the faster car’s driver, the slower car might seem to move backward, even though both vehicles are moving forward. Similarly, when Earth, which is closer to the Sun and moves faster, overtakes an outer planet, that planet appears to move backward in the sky.

The term retrograde implies moving backward, reversing direction, or declining. It signifies retrogression instead of progression and relates to the concept of entropy from the second law of thermodynamics. Entropy describes a tendency toward disorder, degradation, or the universe’s gradual decline toward chaos and decay (James R. Newman).

In our imperfect world, it’s easy to lose momentum and forward progress, leading us to slow down, halt, or even regress.

Sadly, many of the children of the King feel they are not where they should be in their spiritual journey with the Father. Confronting this reality can be a harsh wake-up call. This was precisely the situation for the messianic believers, the Jews for Jesus, addressed in the book of Hebrews.

Hebrews 5:11-12

11 You are spiritually dull and don’t seem to listen.

As we immerse ourselves in Scripture and grow in the Word, we learn to incorporate it into our daily lives. By doing so, we exercise our “spiritual senses” and cultivate spiritual discernment. A hallmark of spiritual immaturity is the lack of discernment. Just as a baby will indiscriminately put anything into its mouth, an immature believer may listen to any preacher without discerning their adherence to Scripture.

Our physical bodies rely on senses to function, and similarly, our inner “spiritual being” has “spiritual senses.” For instance, the Psalmist invites us to “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalms 34:8). Jesus also highlights this when He says, “Blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear” (Matthew 13:16). As we nourish ourselves with the Word of God and put it into practice, our “spiritual senses” are exercised and grow stronger and sharper. Paul referred to this process as training ourselves for godliness (1 Timothy 4:7-8).

Being able to discern between good and evil is crucial for Christian maturity. The Israelites during Moses’ time lacked this discernment, which caused them to miss out on their promised inheritance. Similarly, the recipients of this letter were at risk of repeating that mistake. In the Christian life, standing still is not an option: we either move forward and receive God’s blessings or fall back and wander aimlessly (Wiersbe)

“I once heard a preacher say, ‘Most Christians are ‘betweeners.’

‘What do you mean by that?’ I asked.

‘They are between Egypt and Canaan – out of the place of danger but not yet into the place of rest and rich inheritance,’ he replied. ‘They are between Good Friday and Easter Sunday – saved by the blood but not yet enjoying the newness of resurrection life.’

Are you a ‘betweener’?” (Wiersbe)

REFLECT & PRAY

In our fallen world, drifting and spiritual atrophy are natural tendencies. We must make a conscious effort to counteract this decline.

Father, how often have I become complacent and strayed from the core of Your truth? Encourage me to renew my dedication, not just to recover what I have lost, but to surpass it and grow even closer to You.

INSIGHT

Hebrews 5:11 You have become dull of hearing.

The Greek term for “dull” is nothros, which conveys a sense of being sluggish, lazy, or negligent. It is often associated with culpable negligence (O’Brien). The Greek word for “hearing” is akoais, indicating the ability to listen with understanding and take appropriate action.

Understanding Greek verb tenses can shed light on this passage. The Greek verb translated as “become” is gegonte (from ginomai – to become). This verb is in the perfect tense, which in Greek signifies an action that happened in the past with ongoing effects in the present. Essentially, there was a time when they could hear and fully understand, but they have since grown dull in their hearing and now still are. They retrogressed.

Acknowledging this backward movement is crucial. A fitting metaphor is the atrophy of a muscle. When a muscle is regularly used, it stays strong. However, if a limb is immobilized in a cast because of a fracture, the muscle weakens and shrinks over time. Similarly, their spiritual sensitivity has diminished due to neglect, and they must recognize this regression to move forward again.

This issue goes beyond mere mental laziness; it is a form of spiritual resistance. There is no enthusiasm or yearning for the spiritual sustenance that the Scriptures provide. Instead, there is apathy and an overwhelming dullness. Their sluggish attitude is evident in their hesitance or perhaps their incapacity to listen, recall, or teach. They are now unwilling to put in the effort required to strengthen their spiritual muscles. They no longer wish to study the Word of God, meditate on it, memorize it, or apply it to their lives.

Their regression has led to a decline in understanding and the ability to teach, which is both ironic and tragic. They do not lack intelligence, but they can no longer employ it to grasp the deeper, more substantial aspects of the Word of God because they have become lethargic and obtuse.

However, there is good news. Spiritual degeneration is not permanent. People can choose to stop their downward spiral. The basic principles of the Word of God can be relearned and put into practice. A renewed commitment is essential to restoring our grasp of these basic principles and advancing to deeper understanding.

How do we get here from there? We choose to no longer remain in a state of dullness. We decide to awaken from our spiritual slumber and reclaim our vitality, developing a renewed hunger and thirst for the pure teachings of the Word of God as we renew our commitment to spiritual growth and maturity.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 11-02-2

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