Able to Help

Most of us keep a short list of things we have never brought to God. The list is short for a reason, because we drew it up ourselves. It holds the two or three things we decided ahead of time that He would not want to hear about.

Hebrews will not let that list stand. It says, "he himself hath suffered being tempted," and the paragraph before keeps pressing on the fact that Jesus had a real human body: "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same." Then it names whom He came to help, "the seed of Abraham," and goes on: "Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren." The old word "succour" simply means help. In Greek it is built from two parts, a cry and a run, so it means to hear someone shout and run toward them. We also keep an objection ready: Jesus never gave in, so how can He know what it is like? Yet giving in is what ends the pressure. A person who gives in after ten minutes never finds out how heavy the fortieth minute is. Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness, and Hebrews says He "was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin."

Lord Jesus, You know what is on our list. We have kept those things back from You. We decided You would be embarrassed by them, or tired of them, or finished with us, and we decided that without ever asking You. We are asking now. You have been hungry. You have been lied about. Your friends fell asleep on the worst night You ever had, and You did not give up on them.

You were not spared the pressure, so reach us inside it, at the fortieth minute and not only at the tenth. Reach us as the One who has been that far in and did not turn back. Your word says You are "able to succour them that are tempted," so hear our cry, and run toward us. Amen.

Daily Manna runs on a two-year cycle. The year one reading for day 11 is Expected End (Jeremiah 29:11).

All 365 readings in Daily Manna, Year Two