The author of Hebrews recognized that human efforts to strengthen our hearts and grow as children of God and disciples of Christ was wasted time, energy and focus.
It is a form of religious duty that replaces the grace of God with external human efforts.
In the whole verse of Hebrews 13:9 we are exhorted: “Do not be led away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by eating ceremonial foods, which is of no benefit to those who do so.”
It was not uncommon in the early church for false teachings, human traditions or historical religious practices to upstage and lead astray followers of Jesus who were living a radical new way of life that didn’t require human efforts “to get good before you get God.”
The remedy for a troubled, weak, feeble, hurting heart is not my own inadequate efforts but rather a wholly complete and radical grace: the unmerited, undeserved, unearned mercy, kindness, love, compassion and goodness of God expressed in His Son Jesus!
Is your heart troubled, weak, tempted, hurting, broken, anxious, fearful, cold, bitter or hard?
There is a medicine: the love of God, given freely through the grace of Jesus.
The amazing reality is that you only have to receive this grace to experience the goodness and strength it gives. I want to encourage you today to simply ask Jesus to strengthen your heart with His grace and then freely receive that grace.
