Tuesday the 1st

 Hebrews 12:1

 

¹Therefore, 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.

 

 In Chapter 11 Paul has just finished listing off a great number of people who have lived by faith, and now he is encouraging us to throw off all that hinders, as well as the sin that entangles……oh if it were only that easy right? If it were just a matter of brushing off the hindering entangling tentacles of sin, but it’s not always that easy is it? old habits die hard, old friends always seem to find you when you are at your weakest, and while more days than not we fight the good fight, we all have those days when we feel the tempting whisper of the devil,  to just let go…..no one will know, you will never get caught, or even better everyone is doing it, and no one really cares. The key is found in the next part of the verse. RUN….let us run the race. All the people listed by Paul in chapter 11 lived a life of great faith no doubt, but they all ran the race. Not a lot of time to sit around and wait for a sign, they kept moving, working towards the goal, running the good race that God had marked out for them…..and that is where so many of us falter, we get the faith, we throw off the things that hinder and the sin, but then we wait….and wait, and end up trapped once again. We get the good news and then let it get choked out like the seeds that are scattered among thorn bushes. SO remember to run! We don’t get a map, we only see the next goal. Much like the distance runner looking for the flag on the course. Look for the markers, God has set out, they are defined and easy to see but we have to run to get to the next one. Don’t make the mistake of becoming stagnant, a stagnant pool turns toxic, a stone that sits sinks into the ground. Let us run the race of faith and spread the good news.

 

Peace,

Brian