Contemplative Bible Reading

Hebrews 3:12-13 (New Living Translation)

12 Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. 13 You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God.

Hebrews 3:12-13 (English Standard Version)

12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

I am posting two translations today. I focus on the first verb in verse 13. One translation says “warn each other every day” while the other says “exhort one another every day.”

I like the word “exhort.” When I was a child, an acquaintance published a newsletter call “The Exhorter.” That was a good news about those who preached the good news newsletter. I’ve had a fondness for that word ever since.

These sentences above tell us that each day each of us is confronted with sin and temptation in one form or another. These temptations are different for each of us. Some of us laugh at how “easy” and “little” the temptations given to other folks are when compared to what is pushed in my face. I have it tougher, you know (probably not).

Regardless of the size of the temptation, each is confronted daily. And as fellow followers of Christ, each of us should warn each of us about these temptations. Each of us should encourage and exhort each of us to stay closer to Christ and move farther from the sin that entices.

Good grief. Does this following Christ ever get easy or at least easier? Why can’t we just coast a little for a while? Sorry. The deceitfulness of sin is there all the time. It is in our faces every day.

So, we had exhorting or warning to our list of daily duties as a loving follower of Christ. Please God, help me to meet this challenge.