How can we persevere today?
Hebrews 12:1-2
Therefore, since we are surrounded by
such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything
that hinders and
the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race
marked
out for us. Let
us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who
for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame,
and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
God is for us!
Our God is in
control!
We see this reminder in
Hebrews 12 that He is with us today…”that such a great cloud of witnesses” –
men and women who have gone before us and paved the way for us, surrounds
us. I like to look at this as our
cheerleaders encouraging us today.
Let us throw off
everything that hinders us – WEIGHS US DOWN – and the sin. It is not just talking about the sin,
but the weight and the sin that entangles us and keeps us back from running
God’s race for us.
Challenge
What is hindering you from
giving your all to the Lord today?
What barriers are in your
way today?
What weight are you
carrying today?
What is keeping you back
from running the race God has set for you today?
What are you about to face that is going to be difficult?
On the spiritual aspect of
things, specifically, what sin do you need to confess before the Lord and throw
off, or cast away?
The Lord has a race for us
to run today – His race, not our race.
No matter what our desires are for the day with our lists, expectations
and more - they have to be put under God’s priority list for the day. That is a difficult thing to do!!
What does this race look
like? I do no know, but I am
confident it is filled with hope and excitement. Looking even deeper - this race must be run with
perseverance! There will be some
tough hills to climb and some valleys to go through, but we are encouraged to
run the race.
How do we run today with
perseverance – FIX OUR EYES ON JESUS!
He is our perfect example to follow! He has gone before us and seen the difficulty of running a
race by enduring the cross and experiencing shame. He endured such opposition, why? So that you would not lose heart and not be weary, but
endure and face adversity with the strength of the Lord.
From the Message Bible -
12 Do
you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these
veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start
running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your
eyes on Jesus, who both began and
finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight
of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up
with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right
alongside God.
Prayer – What adversity
are you experiencing today? What
sin is in your life that is prohibiting you from experiencing the race God has
called you to run? Lord, teach us
to fix our eyes on you and run the race in front of us with perseverance.
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