“Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus — the great Shepherd of the sheep  — through the blood of the everlasting covenant, equip you with everything good to do his will, working in us what is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭13:20-21‬ ‭CSB‬‬

Alas, today, we close the journey through the letter to the Hebrews and what a blessed journey it has been. The road has been filled with great spiritual meals with much to be satisfied. These meals, I hope, would have brought further hunger and desire for more of God’s knowledge and ways. For in the same way that a person who has become obese is never satisfied with the food they have, may you too become never satisfied with the spiritual meals you have received, for blessed are the poor in spirit and those who hunger for righteousness.

As this chapter closes, much can be summarised, but as the letter’s author has written, we will focus. Remember these fundamental points; God has raised Jesus from the dead. Because we believe in the resurrection of Jesus, there is no longer a fear of death. We now know what will happen when we die; like Him, we will be resurrected into our new bodies and be seated with Him in heaven. Jesus is our great shepherd. He is the only one who looks after us and brings us to the final destination. Jesus protects us even in the darkest valleys. We have no fear because we know He is by our side. With such a great shepherd and protector, when times get hard and dark (which they will, that is what the Bible says), remember to press into Him and stay close to Jesus. Because our great shepherd purchased us with spilt Blood, we can stand firm in the covenant He made with us, that through Him we will get to know the Father. Through the Blood of Jesus, we may be fully unified to God just as He was unified with God. It is through this Blood and covenant that God released the Holy Spirit for our help. The indwelling presence of the Spirit empowers us to do all that we need to do the will of God and be pleasing in His sight, which is to be moulded into the image of His most Beloved, Jesus. It is the sanctification and holiness of our lives that God will give us all power to achieve, that through our transformed lives, we may then testify about the truth of our King.

As we finish this letter, sit with God and ask Him to start something new in you. A new season of further refinement to be moulded into Jesus more and more. For it is Jesus, the King of kings, who will receive all the glory, honour and praise forever. What better person is there to be moulded into? Praise God for His loving help to overcome all things.