HOLDING ONTO CONFIDENCE
Hebrews 10:32-36 CSB
Remember the earlier days when, after you had been enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings. 33 Sometimes you were publicly exposed to taunts and afflictions, and at other times you were companions of those who were treated that way. 34 For you sympathized with the prisoners and accepted with joy the confiscation of your possessions, because you know that you yourselves have a better and enduring possession. 35 So don’t throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36 For you need endurance, so that after you have done God’s will, you may receive what was promised.
I have often quoted and preached on Hebrews 10:36. This verse underscores our need for endurance—the holding up under difficult circumstances. But as I re-read this chapter I realized the magnitude of the difficult circumstances that forms the context of this verse.
These Hebrew believers were encouraged to hold onto their confidence as they already had been doing. When they were first enlightened as to the truth that is in Christ Jesus, they went through a hard struggle. They dealt with some difficult sufferings because of their faith in Christ. Many of them were publicly ridiculed and beaten. Now that is something we rarely see in America. And I am thankful for that. But being publicly ridiculed, and of course, this was not online. This was in the flesh public. And they were beaten physically. I am thinking this would provide a great opportunity for a new believer to take a break from this Christianity stuff.
And the struggle did not stop there. They were friends and connected with people who suffered the same way. These believers were identifying with their brothers and sisters in Christ who were being publicly shamed and physically assaulted.
But wait, there is more. These believers had their possessions confiscated. Their stuff was stolen, and it appears they had no recourse for getting it back. Amazingly, these Jewish believers suffered this loss without being traumatized. Instead, they were joyful, looking forward to the day when, in heaven, all they have will be valuable and eternal.
Therefore, in the light of all this difficulty, the writer of Hebrews is encouraging these believers, who had already displayed an amazing amount of courage, to not give in to the pressure. It takes confidence in the Lord to not give in when being verbally and physically abused. Confidence is required to identify with people who are being treated like dirt. A whole lot of confidence is necessary to accept loss with dignity and joy, looking for a better day. They had a great deal of confidence, and they just needed to hold on to it because their confidence would produce a great reward.
The writer goes on to encourage these faithful believers to not draw back from the Lord but to continue to believe. This is what would be pleasing to God.
APPLICATION
When I look at what these early believers endured and yet continued to serve God, I am inspired. When I look at their problems in the light of what I have to endure, it makes so many of my situations seem small.
I remember my Pastor John Osteen getting upset one Sunday when people were complaining about the old Lakewood’s shell parking lot. Loose shells could seriously hurt a pair of shoes. This Sunday, he heard one complaint too many. He was fired up when he declared that in India, he had personally seen people walk for three days to hear the gospel, and we couldn’t walk across a parking lot.
I understand that struggles and hardships are relative. But God give us the confidence that these early believers had in the Lord. And by His grace hold onto our confidence and not throw it away. We’re going to see these folks in heaven someday.
PRAYER
Lord, strengthen me by Your Spirit in my inner man so that I hold onto my confidence in you regardless of what I am going through.