Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. - Hebrews 12:1
Christ is our example as we run life’s race. As a good coach, he himself competed in the same “sport”—he lived this life on earth. He even died “a shameful death” (Hebrews 12:2). Why? “Because of the joy he knew would be his afterward.” So we, too, look forward to the prize—the joy—that will be ours. Christ stands at the winning post and receives us to glory. The prize is to fall into his arms and hear him say, “Well done! You finished the race. You persevered. You did not drift away from the moorings of the truth of your faith. You hung in there.” We may drop over the finish line in total exhaustion—just as long as we don’t drop out of the race. Christ endured, so we must not “become weary and give up” (Hebrews 12:3).
The Bible talks of “the race that God has set before us” (Hebrews 12:1). What does that mean? When our two oldest children were running cross-country in high school, the coach would always make sure they arrived at the course early so they would have enough time to walk the course before actually having to run the race. He wanted them to know the difficult humps and bumps of the course.
Tough assignments require tough training, but we can make it. All we have to do is look at Jesus. “We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish” (Hebrews 12:2). The Coach is cheering you on! Look to him.
For Further Study: Hebrews 12:1-13
Excerpted from The One Year Devotions for Women, Copyright ©2000 by Jill Briscoe. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.
For more from Jill Briscoe, please visit TellingtheTruth.org.
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