100 Verse Challenge - Week 8

One of the things I love about the Lord is his timing. If you want to know the truth, I sincerely see the Lord as the Great Orchestrator. He is the God of the details, and if you could get a peek into His "Day Planner" I am confident we would be blown away by the way He manages everything. I know lots of people believe coincidences, but I'm not one of them. I do believe in God-incidences, and when I read the perfect passage or devotional or hear just the right song at the perfect time that I need to hear it's message, I give God credit, and I find myself in awe of His timing and organization.

So although it's not one of the life-changing God-incidences this week for me, I did get a kick out of the fact that in the reading plan I am using to read through my bible in a year, I started the book of Hebrews this morning, and both of our verses for this week are key verses from the book of Hebrews. When I get to chapter four this week I will take greater note of the context and content, because after all, when Robert J. Morgan picked the 100 Verses Everyone Should Know by Heart, both of these verses make the Top 20. (#s 15 & 16 to be exact.)

The two verses this week may actually make out 100 Verse Challenge feel challenging. Though I suspect both will be at least somewhat familiar to many believers. Morgan suggests the importance of reading our first verse in context. He recommends backing up and reading Hebrews 3:7-4:12, encouraging us to take particular notice of the references to rest in this passage. The verse itself is important because it is God's Word about God's Word. His break down of the verse is summed up nicely in a quote by A.T. Pierson, which says: The Word of Christ proves itself to be the Word of God by its living energy and it's penetrating power.

Verse 1:

For the Word of God is living and effective and sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as to divide soul, spirit, joints and marrow; it is a judge of the ideas and thoughts of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12

Our second verse comes just a few scriptures later in the 4th chapter of Hebrews. It's a verse about prayer. Morgan recommends we walk through it with the 5 W's. Remember the 5 W's in school when you were working on reading comprehension? Who, what, where, why and when. Let's look at the verse and then walk briefly through the questions to break down the verse.

Verse 2:

Therefore let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us at the proper time.
Hebrews 4:16

The break down: Who? "Let us..." What? Prayer is approaching God, ...let us approach... Where? ...the throne of grace... Why? ...so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us... And finally, When? ...at the proper time.

"At the proper time," in our modern language we might use the term "in the nick of time." It's full circle here, God's timing is perfect. Whether it be in the moment of need, or the need of escape for temptation, a timely word or encouragement, God's timing is in fact perfect. I'm telling you, I'd give anything for a glimpse at His day planner, and even more for His gift for planning it. At least I can say I am happy to benefit from it.