Just Bring Yourself

Hebrews 8:10 - "I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people"

When I was single, I got a lot of dinner invitations to people's homes, and I would always ask them, "What can I bring?".  Being that I wasn't the most domesticated bachelor, I couldn't bake, and I couldn't cook very well, they would always answer, "Just bring yourself!"  Ahh, music to my ears!

In Hebrews 8:6, the writer says, "But now has He obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much more also He is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises".  In the old covenant, I had a part and God had a part.  In the new covenant, the only part is God's part.  In Hebrews 8:10-12, all I see is "I will, I will, I will", and the "I" is God.  The only part that's my responsibility is in verse 12, when God said that He remembers my sins no more, which means that I must remember them no more as well.  No more sin consciousness!  I must call myself righteous like He does, and accept and receive what He says about me.

Just like with those dinner invitations, it's this simple, the first thing I need to do is show up!  The next thing I do is say thank You!  We always think that we have to bring something to God, and if we don't and show up "empty handed", we think we're doing something wrong, or we should have at least DONE something!  In the new covenant, we don't have to DO anything except to believe, receive, and say thank You.  So, what should you bring to God, just bring yourself.  No good works, no good deeds, no excuses, no sacrifices, no shame, just bring yourself.

What a great covenant, with better promises!  He says, "I will be your God", meaning when you're sick, He is your Healer, when you have bills to pay, He is your Provider, when your kids are out in the world and not living for Christ, He is the Restorer and the One who will show them who He is.

I think sometimes we want to DO something so we can boast, or maybe because we simply don't trust Him to DO what He says, but God is teaching us to depend on Him.  So when You come to God, just bring yourself, that's it.  AND here's the best part, that's our message to the world around us...simply, "Come to Christ, there's a seat waiting for you at His table, all are welcome, no need to bring anything...just bring yourself".