Wednesday
May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
(Hebrews 13:20-21, NIV)
The author of the Letter to the Hebrews concludes his remarks with the benediction recorded in today’s verses. Because the readers of this letter were most likely Jewish converts familiar with the Old Testament, the images used in this benediction communicated a powerful message. The “God of peace,” a familiar descriptive title in the Old Testament, is linked to his covenant and to his son, the “great Shepherd” as described by the prophets. After grounding this prayer in words that religious Jews would recognize, the author goes to the heart of his petition: the equipping of the saints “with everything good for doing his will.”
The Amplified Bible adds a helpful insight with its translation of these words: “Strengthen (complete, perfect) and make you what you ought to be” (v. 21). J. B. Phillips’ paraphrase puts it this way: “Equip you thoroughly for the doing of his will.” God’s plan is to enable us to be agents of his Kingdom and he promises to give us the strength and ability to do his will. Jesus Christ works through us to achieve his ends. Believers have the unique and glorious opportunity to be involved in the implementation of God’s strategic plan for history. In fact this benediction tells us that we will find our greatest fulfillment in life as men and women when we do God’s will. Anything less will leave us unfulfilled and dissatisfied.
The Apostle Paul made a similar point in his closing remarks in his first Letter to the Thessalonians: “May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (5:23). God is at work cleansing and purifying us so that we stand blameless before his Son. Peace with God comes at God’s initiative and is available to us by faith alone. Peace with God means that we can be equipped with everything we need to do his will, for the glory of his Son, our Lord and King.
Prayer
God of peace, we praise you for your sovereign control of history and the unfolding of your plan in our lives and in our world. We rejoice in your promise that you will equip us “with everything good” for doing your will and that your Son will work through us. Thank you for making us what we “ought to be.” Amen.