Read: Hebrews 10:19-26
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds . . . (v. 24 NIV)
A Psychology Today article tells the story of a man struggling with alcoholism who resisted attending Alcoholics Anonymous for decades. When he finally went to his first meeting, he said: “I couldn’t believe what I was hearing! People were talking about things I thought and felt, it was as if they knew me, knew my problems, and had answers I couldn’t get anywhere else.” Sharing our testimonies reminds us we’re not alone when life is hardest. There is a particular kind of encouragement given when someone vulnerably shares their story of loss or distress and then tells what (or who) rescued them.
This is what the writer of the letter to the Hebrews knew and urged the Jewish followers of Jesus to do with one another. They were facing severe persecution and other heartbreaking difficulties, but first and foremost they had been rescued, forgiven, washed, and cleansed “through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ” (v. 10). They had found the answer they couldn’t get anywhere else and now needed to encourage one another by sharing their stories! The psalmist in Psalm 107 urges God’s people to do the very same thing: “Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble” (v. 2).
As each of us faces our own difficulties, we gain strength and encouragement as we hear and tell our stories of God’s great faithfulness, power, mercy, and love.
As you pray, ask for the Holy Spirit’s encouragement for any difficulty before you today.
Linda R. Rubingh is a parent, pastor, therapist, and writer with a passion for sharing the gospel with youth nationally and internationally. She is the co-founder with her husband, Trevor, of New City Kids, and more recently New City Networks, and is completing her first children’s book, I Love to Tell the Story: Stories of Meeting Jesus from Every Nation, Tribe and Tongue. Linda is a New Jersey native but now lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
