I was knuckle-deep in the white cream, about to slather the product into my hair, when I realized I was about to lavish facial cleanser--not pomade--into my 'do. Luckily I stopped myself in time. I rolled my eyes at the near miss, thinking about Ann of Green Gables.
if you are a "kindred spirit," as Ann herself would say, you've read the classic book often enough to recall the incident of Ann's infamous liniment cake. If you've not had the joy of reading L.M. Montgomery's gem, you've missed the laughable social tragedy that befell Ann because the cake she so lovingly baked for the minister's wife was flavored by an utterly unexpected ingredient.
In fairness, in Ann's case the, ummm, exotic flavor profile in her baked goods was not really her fault. Mislabeled resources, misguided priority or simple misunderstanding can result in unpleasant surprises even when we have the best of intentions. Of course if we simply don't bother to pay attention--whether to the contents of a jar of hair product or a bottle of anodyne liniment--we can have comedy on our hands. But if we don't bother to pay attention to God's clear teaching, the consequences can be tragic.
Hebrews 2:1 enjoins us to pay attention to the truths that are so carefully set out in the verses of Chapter 1. We must be intentional, choosing daily to focus our attention on Who Jesus is, in order to rightly live out our lives in relationship with Him. That means paying attention to Who the Bible reveals our Savior to be, not focusing on our own small image of Jesus as a reflection of our own limited selves.
It's entirely too easy to drift away. When we just "go with the flow" in our busy lives and let the reality of the Bible's message slip past unnoticed or unconsidered we are in danger of misconception and missteps. We are worse off than someone who slides helplessly into a fast-flowing river and watches safety disappear, irretrievable, as she is pulled along by the current.
Just drifting, being preoccupied or distracted, is perilous for you and me and for the people to whom God has called us to minister. How we react to God each and every day--whether in worship or indifference--matters in eternity. Will we act on God's truth? Will we obey His calling? There is no neutral ground. We are either living in obedience, or disobedience. Read Hebrews 1:1-2:1 and make your choice for today.
Hebrews 1 English Standard Version (ESV)
1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
5 For to which of the angels did God ever say,
“You are my Son, today I have begotten you”?
Or again,
“I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son”?
6 And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,
“Let all God's angels worship him.”
7 Of the angels he says,
“He makes his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire.”
8 But of the Son he says,
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”
10 And,
“You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands; 11 they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment, 12 like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed.[a] But you are the same, and your years will have no end.”
13 And to which of the angels has he ever said,
“Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”?
14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?
Hebrews 2:1 English Standard Version (ESV)
2 Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.
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