Today I am sharing the conclusion of my communion time paying the more earnest heed to things we have heard from the Lord in order for us to minimise our drifting from the truth.
The same principle of just obeying the commands of the Lord for our benefit applies to fasting because as we fast it opens up greater avenues of blessing in our lives and the life of others. Jesus speaks about fasting in Matthew.6:16, by saying “when you fast,” indicating that fasting is something His followers should practice. But who ultimately benefits from fasting?
Isaiah.58:6,8 & 9 makes the answer clear: “Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke?” And: “Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. 9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’”
Just look at the benefits we receive for obeying this command: freedom, broken burdens, deliverance from oppression, broken yokes, light, healing, righteousness, the glory of the Lord surrounding us, and answered prayer. Who receives these benefits? The person who fasts in obedience to the Lord. This is why I encourage you to meditate deeply on Isaiah.58 because it reveals how obedience to the Lord benefits our lives and makes our way better.
Returning to Hebrews.2, we can now understand more clearly why we must give the more earnest heed to what we have heard. We understand that giving earnest heed means that we must meditate continually on what the Holy Spirit has spoken and faithfully confess those words, because this is how we keep them established within our hearts.
The Lord gave Joshua this principle in Joshua.1:8 & 9: “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”
Notice that the Lord specifically said the Word should not depart from your mouth. This truth reveals the importance of our confession. We keep the Word in our hearts by continually putting it into our mouths, by meditating upon it day and night, which is by rehearsing it repeatedly, and then taking the corresponding action according to what we have observed through our meditation.
The result is that we make our way prosperous and experience good success. This principle of repetition is designed to keep our hearts from drifting. It is amazing how far we can move from the right destination through very small movements in the wrong direction. A vessel can drift only a small amount at a time, yet eventually find itself many miles away from its intended course.
I have personally experienced something similar while driving on the interstate in Fort Worth, Texas. I drifted off course at an intersection and suddenly discovered that I was now on the highway heading toward Oklahoma instead of remaining on the route I intended to take.
It was a startling experience to realize how far I had to travel before I could find a service station, to retrace my steps, and work out how to get back to Fort Worth. That experience painful as it was illustrates clearly the spiritual danger of drifting away from instructions. Small deviations, if left uncorrected, can eventually produce a major departure from the intended destination.
This is precisely why we must keep the Word of the Lord continually in our mouths. Daily confession keeps our hearts focused and centred upon truth. Please Do not believe the lie that you no longer need to confess the word because you are saved. Psalm.107:2 says let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom te Lord has redeemed from the enemy.
Hebrews.3:1 speaks of Jesus as the Apostle and High Priest of our confession. So think if Jesus will accept words that contradict His covenant with you. The enemy will attempt to make your continual confession seem unnecessary. He may suggest : “You already know the Word, so You don’t need to confess it all the time. Anyway that is just being religious.”
Do not believe that lie because neglecting the Word can cost us dearly because our repetition of it is not an empty religious activity when it is being used to establish truth in our hearts. It is the means through which we keep ourselves aligned with what the Lord has spoken.
The Holy Spirit continually reminds me to rehearse the truths I already know. He encourages me to return to refresher studies of the truths I have previously learned so that I remain current, established, and continually growing in what He has revealed. He also reminds me when my confessions have become less regular than they should be, by awakening me again to the importance of keeping the Word before my eyes through my confessions.
What the Lord says possesses such dynamic power and effect that neglecting to say and rehearse it can create unnecessary trouble and hardship in our lives we must refrain from doing. This is exactly why the writer of Hebrews warns us against neglecting the word we have heard. The warning is not intended to condemn us but to protect us because neglect hurts us, whereas staying on course confessing the word protects us.
The answer is therefore very clear which is for us to stay on course by continually confessing and meditating on the Word of the Lord. Do not allow attractive alternatives, easier options, comfortable choices, or desires that appeal to the flesh to move you away from what the Lord has spoken. The enemy will always attempt to offer you something that seems easier or more convenient, but our responsibility is to remain anchored in the truth.
The Holy Spirit is calling us back to the practice of daily confession of “thus saith the Holy Spirit.” So we must deliberately reject futile thoughts and personal opinions that have always ended up hindering our forward movement.
The goal for us is not merely to know the Word intellectually but we must keep it continually before our eyes and in our mouths until it shapes our hearts, directs our decisions, and produces the corresponding action which results in possession of the promises of God.
My prayer this morning is that these words will stir your heart to return to the daily practice of confessing what the Holy Spirit has spoken to you. May you refuse to minimize any instruction the Lord has given you, even if it appears to be a small thing.
May you give utmost attention to every word the Holy Spirit has entrusted to you so that the grace released through these truths will propel you to take the necessary action because you value what the Holy Spirit is saying.
This is an auspicious season in which the Lord desires to have His say, His way, and His day in your life. The Holy Spirit desires to be seen doing His will through His servants so that His name will be glorified on the earth and His Kingdom expanded. Therefore, do not drift or neglect the word by allowing the enemy to alter the Word because you exchange the truth for a deception.
Keep confessing the Word in your mouth as you meditate upon it day and night. Rehearse the word continually till it instructs you take the corresponding action necessary to inherit the promise.
Then remain centred on the truth because as you do this, the Lord will bring you out in triumph, to the point where even your enemies will look on in amazement and recognize the greatness of your God in Jesus name. Amen.