OCTOBER 31 READING…HEBREWS 12
The writer tells us that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witness. These could be those who have come before, who walked the walk of faith, as shown in chapter 11. These could be the angels in heaven that are always watching us. This could be the lost who are around us, watching our lives to see if we live what we say we believe. Or, this could be other brothers and sisters in the faith that witness our lives, and witness in our lives. In order for us to walk the walk of faith before this great host of witnesses we must lay aside the weights of this life…lay your burdens down. We must also put aside those sins in our lives that so easily ensnare us and attempted to derail us. Finally, we need to have endurance as we run the race of life. My brothers and sisters, this is not a sprint…it is a marathon. We need endurance, patience, and the determination to stick to it. In all this, we must keep our eyes on Jesus for He is the Author (Originator) and Finisher (Completer) of our faith. He did all the was needed on the cross for us to be everything that God has created us to be.
The writer then wants us to understand that through Jesus we have a relationship with God as our Father. He is the greatest of fathers. Part of being our Father means that when we stray He will discipline us. He does this because we belong to Him, and He loves us. It is the parent that does not love their child that allows them to do anything they want. God is perfect in His discipline toward each one of us. His discipline is not meant just to punish…His discipline is given for correction. We don’t like being corrected by anyone, even God…but we can be sure when God disciplines us it is the best thing for us, and we can also be sure we needed it. We are also called to strengthen others who are struggling, to pursue peace with one another, and be diligent in our walk that we don’t make a mockery of God’s grace in our lives. We must cherish what we have in Christ, and not treat it with contempt the way Esau did with his birthright. Finally, we must walk in obedience to Christ in all things…this is only way we can be genuine people of faith.
Please share your thoughts from today’s reading.
TOMORROW’S READING…HEBREWS 13