Journey Through The Bible
     Old Testament Reading: 2 Kings 22-25
     New Testament Reading: Hebrews 13

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).

This prayer is one of the most beautiful benedictions of the Bible—one that takes its place with Numbers 6:24–26; 2 Corinthians 13:14; and Jude 24-25.

This benediction seems to gather the major themes of the book of Hebrews: peace, the resurrected Christ, the blood, the covenant, spiritual maturity, and God’s work in the Believer.

Our Great High Priest is also our Great Shepherd. As the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ died for the sheep. When He was on earth, He worked for us when He completed the great work of redemption.

As the Great Shepherd, He lives for the sheep in heaven today, working on their behalf. Now that He is in heaven, He is working in us, to mature us in His will and bring us to a place of spiritual perfection. We never reach that place until He returns, but while we are waiting, we are told to continue to grow.

As the Chief Shepherd, He will come for the sheep to reward His servants. Our Shepherd cares for His own in the past, present, and future. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

The focus of the prayer is that the saints might be equipped with every good work to do God’s will. There is a curious mingling here of the divine and the human. God equips us with everything good. God works in us what is well-pleasing in His sight. He does it through Jesus Christ. Then we do His will. He places the desire in us; He gives us the power to do it; then we do it, and He rewards us.

The prayer ends with the acknowledgment that Jesus Christ is worthy of glory forever and ever. When we do His will, we bring Him glory, which is why we were put on this earth in the first place. What a difference it would make in our lives if we would begin each day by personalizing this prayer.