Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Hebrews 13:20-21 ESV).

‍

“Wherever you’re looking, that’s where your car will go,” my Drivers Ed teacher used to say. It’s a phrase that’s stuck with me ever since. I only had to test it once (safely!) to recognize the truth in those words - even the best drivers will start drifting if they look away from the road for too long.  

‍

The author of Hebrews spends nearly the whole book trying to lock our eyes on the road ahead by pointing to Jesus. He thoroughly details not just how significant he was and still is, but how believing in Jesus is the single most important thing we can ever understand. As we’ve read through Hebrews throughout these past thirteen weeks, I hope you’ve sensed the urgency and weight behind these words. Imagine a first-century man, painstakingly writing out or dictating each word to a scribe. This was an arduous, exhausting process that would have taken hours upon hours of intense labor, likely stretching over a period of 20-30 days to complete. It was no quick note to Grandma; it was a labor of love for the church.  

‍

In Chapter 13, as the letter comes to a close, there’s a brevity that contrasts with the lengthier descriptions in earlier chapters. It made me chuckle as I pictured this author, who has poured out his heart, perhaps glancing down and realizing that his expensive parchment scroll is rapidly running out of space and needs to add a last little “P.S.” to finish his letter. He gave us the reason not to drift, now he’s giving us rapid-fire ways to keep moving in the right direction:  

‍

Let brotherly love continue (v.1)

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers (v.2)

Remember those who are in prison (v.3)

Let marriage be held in honor among all (v. 4)

Keep your life free from love of money (v. 5)  

‍

And he continues on. As we read through this intense, lightning-round list of instructions, it might start to feel overwhelming. But then we’re reminded in verse 21 that God “equips us with everything good that you may do his will.” Hebrews 4:15-16 has my favorite verse in all of Scripture, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

‍

The phrase “draw near to the throne of grace” brings me to tears every single time I read it. Not only do we have a God who equips us, but one who wants us to draw near to him. He loves us that much! I also love that it’s impossible to drift away and draw near at the same time - it’s two opposite directions! When we choose to stop drifting and turn the wheels toward Jesus, he’s ready to meet us with open arms full of mercy and grace.

Where are you prone to drifting and how can you focus your eyes on Jesus instead?

I love verses 20-21, and I’d like to slow them down line-by-line to end our time in Hebrews: ‍

‍

Now may the God of peace

who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus,

the great shepherd of the sheep,

by the blood of the eternal covenant,

equip you with everything good

that you may do his will,

working in us that which is pleasing in his sight,

through Jesus Christ,

to whom be glory forever and ever.

Amen.