Long life is a tremendous gift of God, but the fourth quarter can be painful. Hebrews 12:1-2 offers encouragement in imagery that is quite symbolic of HERITAGE OF HOPE. HOH leadership sees this life as a race we are running to successfully pass the baton of faith to the next generation.
THEREFORE WE ALSO, SINCE WE ARE SURROUNDED BY SO GREAT A CLOUD OF WITNESSES;
Accept the legacy of Hebrews 11 as our baton of faith. We cannot yet see them, but the forerunners of our Christian faith are cheering for us! Receive their encouragement, witness, insight, and prayers. Thank God for their willing hearts and break-throughs in furthering the kingdom. Benefit from studying the lives of these biblical characters. Recall what God has done in our own lives. May the Holy Spirit guide us in crafting our message to the next generation, the word of our testimony (Revelation 12:11). Let us carefully identify our own heritage of hope, our baton of faith.
LET US LAY ASIDE EVERY WEIGHT, AND THE SIN WHICH SO EASILY ENSNARES US;
To go the distance, the burdens of worry and anxiety must go . . . especially the presumptuous sin of trying to solve the problems of others. Taking personal inventory for confession can be challenging, but the process of I John 1:9 will lighten our load. For inspiration, you may enjoy reading or watching an animated version of Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan.
LET US RUN WITH ENDURANCE THE RACE THAT IS SET BEFORE US;
I interpret “the race” to be one’s personal mission, calling or assignment (the good works for which we were made per Ephesians 2:10). Sometimes, these “races” are pretty slow processes like raising children! Whether your current race is a marathon or sprint, prayer is essential. Take the time to fast and pray, to be sure we are on His path, so we can run heartily as unto the Lord (Colossians 3:23). It seems the secret to endurance is our eternal focus on Jesus.
LOOKING UNTO JESUS, THE AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF OUR FAITH:
According to Jesus’ example, our focus makes all the difference. Life has multiple distractions, but Jesus only did what He saw the Father doing (John 5:19). Eventually, this meant that He set His eyes on Jerusalem (Luke 9:51). When you find yourself flagging in your faith, go over Jesus’ story again. Read and reread the gospels until his prayerful, obedient dependence on the Father as well as his approach to the people he served is very clear. Jesus is the model of all we seek to be, our mentor, coach, and redeemer as well as the One who will meet us at our Finish Line. If we’ve got it right with Jesus, we will finish this life well.
WHO FOR THE JOY THAT WAS SET BEFORE HIM;
Jesus never lost sight of where he was headed – that exhilarating FINISH LINE in and with God. Let’s reread Revelation 21-22 as many times as we need to. During my father’s last days, his grandson Curtis encouraged him by reading aloud In Light of Eternity by Randy Alcorn. This life is not all there is; how important for us to anticipate the joy set before us as did Jesus.
ENDURED THE CROSS; DESPISING THE SHAME;
As much as we try to deny it and avoid it, suffering is a purposeful part of this life (James 1). Let’s not empower evil with our fear but disarm the opposition by expecting and preparing for challenges and hard times (Revelation 12:11). Ask to receive the anointing of the Holy Spirit and employ all the weapons given to us (Ephesians 6) as we strive to be fruitful stewards of our time and gifts whatever the obstacles may be.
AND HE HAS SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE THRONE OF GOD.
The end of our run with Jesus will be glorious and worth all the challenges and hardships. His promises are true. Let’s live as if we believe that – not like this is all there is, and death is a sad thing or defeat. At the FINISH LINE, we must say good-bye to loved ones for a season, and that is very difficult. For those released, however, life will be full of God’s glory with Jesus visible, in the place of honor, right beside Father God. I pray we each run our race and finish this life in a manner that will enable us to hear, Well done, my good and faithful servant (Luke 19:17). Amen.
