Pause and think on that

Every priest goes to work at the altar each day, offers the same old sacrifices year in, year out, and never makes a dent in the sin problem. As a priest, Christ made a single sacrifice for sins, and that was it! Then he sat down right beside God and waited for his enemies to cave in. It was a perfect sacrifice by a perfect person to perfect some very imperfect people. By that single offering, he did everything that needed to be done for everyone who takes part in the purifying process. The Holy Spirit confirms this:

This new plan I’m making with Israel
    isn’t going to be written on paper,
    isn’t going to be chiseled in stone;
This time “I’m writing out the plan in them,
    carving it on the lining of their hearts.”

He concludes,

I’ll forever wipe the slate clean of their sins.

Once sins are taken care of for good, there’s no longer any need to offer sacrifices for them. Hebrews 10:11-18 The Message

Selah. Pause, and think of that ...

the perfect sacrifice by a perfect person to perfect some very imperfect people ..

I'm writing out the plan in them, carving it on the lining of their hearts ...

I'll forever wipe the slate clean of their sins

Yesterday I was reading Chapter 10 in Hebrews and I just kept reading over verses 11 to 14

And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.

But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. 

For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.

Hebrews 10:11-14 NKJV

This Man, JESUS, did this for us - the imperfect people, the ones who are being sanctified. This sacrifice, this freedom that He has gifted us, is definitely worth thinking on. Pausing in the midst of our busy lives. Focusing our thoughts on Him alone, and what only He could do for us. 

A time of worship always helps to take me to that place of thinking on Jesus. This morning I was listening to a beautiful worship song by Christy Nockels, Find me at the feet of Jesus. The chorus says,

Find me, find me at the feet of Jesus

Saviour, find me with my heart bowed down

Find me on my knees

Find me close to Thee

Find me at the feet of Jesus

And that is exactly where I want to be every moment of every day, at the feet of Jesus, with my heart bowed down - absolutely humbled by what He has done for me. In complete awe of His love and sacrifice. 

But the reality is that children wake up and need their mum, husbands need their wives, work responsibilities beckon and home duties call. So many things come along in our day to draw us from away that place of worship. 

Therefore the challenge becomes how do we outwork every aspect of our lives in a way that keeps us close to Jesus. How does that process of sanctification play out in our lives?

A couple of thoughts come to mind ... every day learning how to yield more and more to the Holy Spirit. Learning to be more alert to His promptings and then obey them.

Oswald Chambers says, "Sanctification means to be intensely focused on God’s point of view. It means to secure and to keep all the strength of our body, soul, and spirit for God’s purpose alone."

Jesus, please help us today to pause and think on You, to meditate on the sacrifice that You made for us. Please help us to hear the promptings of the Holy Spirit and do what He has written on our hearts. Please help us to do what you ask us to do, always with love and grace. Amen.