Just Another Day's Journey

I was sent this picture by my good friend and mentor, Pastor Greg Corbin who quoted me in his sermon a few weeks ago at Lakeside Baptist Church. I thought it was cool but also humbling

 (yes I know, quite proud of me to say I was humbled when I am promoting the information. I'm very PROUD of my humility)

These past few weeks have been unlike any season I can remember. I’ve been juggling the usual—coaching football, working hard in my job, teaching Sunday School in Isaiah—but all of it has been undergirded by a slow walk through Hebrews in my personal devotions. At first, I worried that splitting my prep time between two books might make things shallow. Instead, I’ve been surprised by the opposite. Hebrews and Isaiah have not only been companions—they’ve been conversation partners, each echoing the other and illuminating passages I’d never thought to connect.

Two mornings ago, Matthew 13:10–17 nearly leapt off the page. It had Hebrews and Isaiah all the way through it!

[10] Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” [11] And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. [12] For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. [13] This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. [14] Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:

“‘“You will indeed hear but never understand,

and you will indeed see but never perceive.”

[15] For this people’s heart has grown dull, (Hebrews)

and with their ears they can barely hear,

and their eyes they have closed,

lest they should see with their eyes

and hear with their ears

and understand with their heart

and turn, and I would heal them.’

[16] But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. [17] For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. (ESV)

Jesus quotes Isaiah’s warning about ears that no longer hear, eyes that no longer see, and hearts that have grown dull. I sometimes call that “sensory organ malfunction.” It’s what happens when people give themselves to idols or when they stop tending to God’s truth—they lose sensitivity. 

We become like the things we worship- Idols can't see, or hear, or talk, or do anything effective. We become like that - eyes that can't see, ears that can't hear, etc - we have a lot of this right now in our culture.

Truthless, aimless, lost and wandering in the wilderness.

At first, it’s subtle. 

But the more we ignore or push aside the voice of God, the less we hear it. That is the same danger Hebrews warns against: drifting, dullness, and eventually outright unbelief.

Both Isaiah and Hebrews paint a sobering picture—truth is never static in our lives. If we pay close attention, we gain more; if we neglect it, even what we think we have begins to slip away. Neglect leads to numbness, numbness to blindness, and blindness to loss.

This has been a challenging time, but also a growing one. 

I also have been really proud (maybe satisfied?) of the spiritual songs I have been writing out of the Hebrews study, they are great companions to the devotions (at least I like them). These songs have been some of the hardest I’ve ever written because I want them to capture the entire text and right now they feel truest to my own journey. I struggled with the lyrics and some of the rhyme schemes still need work and I often couldn't fit the genre that I wanted... so it has been a good struggle and hobby to distract my football plagued mind-  They’re not just songs—they’re markers of how God has been pressing these truths into me.

The project isn't even close to being done (am I even halfway?) but here is a link the the playlist: I think I am through Chapter 6 and have 11 songs that are inspired by the text.

Songs from Hebrews

And selfishly, I keep thinking about legacy. Every blog post, every devotion, every song is a kind of breadcrumb. One day, my children, their children, or maybe even a great-great-grandson might stumble across these words or melodies and discover a little more about “Pops.” If that happens, I hope they’ll see a man wrestling with Scripture, learning as he went, and clinging to grace.

Feel free to reach out if you have questions or concerns..... jayopsis@gmail.com