Thoughts from Hebrews 10

With heavy eyelids and a warm cup of coffee in my hands, I read Hebrews 10 this morning. It was a refreshing chapter... partly because it was a bit less complicated and more straightforward than previous, more confusing chapters, at least for this twice baby-brained mommy.

And partly because it was so blasted encouraging. The author reminds us that Christ's sacrifice was required once. Sacrificing bulls and goats no longer has to happen. Jesus' body Himself replaced that act, one time.

Encouraging to me today because:
It happened once; it's done, finished. I don't have to repeat and save up my bulls or banana bread given to neighbors or quiet times in the Word or polite thoughts or spiritual revelations in the hopes that they might save me in and of themselves, any longer. No more day after day sacrifices. No more wondering if this one will really take. One time and it was done.

Not only was it only once, the sacrificing of that one time didn't even have to be done by me. I didn't have to save up for that one last sacrifice myself, putting all that I had on the line-- one painful sacrifice that I just had to hope was good enough for our Creator. No. It was one time.

And the one who required the sacrifice actually gave the sacrifice this time. The Lord. Who gave Himself.

And somehow I complain that this life, this christian life, is hard. How can I think following the Lord is hard when I don't have to do anything in and of myself to receive His eternal atonement. To receive His love, His grace, forgiveness, His indwelling inside me. He did it once. And He did it.

I think I have a little deeper understanding that the Lord loves us SO much. To quote the way we write in emails, "soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much." :)

Lord, help me receive your love anew today. And use it to mold me as your daughter who more and more wants to drop everything to follow you and love you back.