Surrounded

-

 


Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-3 (NIV)

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, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Devotion:

            The writer of Hebrews (whoever that was) has just finished in chapter 11 giving us a list of faithful men and women who have been martyred for their faith. These faithful people are likely joined by all the faithful men and women who have lived and died up to the present in “the great cloud of witnesses”. He says we are completely surrounded by these deceased saints. Because these are watching us from heaven, we are encouraged to get rid of all hinderances and sins which we as humans fall into on a daily basis.

            In my own life I like to view my family that has gone on to heaven as observing my behavior as part of that great cloud of witnesses. Since most of my family who have died have died in the faith. It is easy for me to imagine these deceased relatives being interested in how I live my life. Therefore, I truly feel surrounded by this particular cloud of witnesses. I can feel the love of God for me through them whenever I pray or meditate on God.

            The author of Hebrews pictures life as a race. Not a sprint but rather a marathon that must be run with endurance. As we run, we are to “fix our eyes on Jesus”. Fixing our eyes on Jesus is getting harder and harder to do in our modern world. Because there are so many things that can distract us and take our attention away from Jesus and onto the things of this world, and onto ourselves. We must constantly be refocusing our gaze on Jesus. We ought to be faithful to Jesus in our lives because it was his life, death, and resurrection that makes our faith possible.

            We must give our careful attention to Jesus and what he endured during his life, trial, and crucifixion. The pain and suffering Jesus endured because of our sin is a terrible, yet somehow wonderful, thing to behold. The thought of a God that loves us enough to die so that we might live eternally in heaven with him and that great cloud of witnesses is a wonderous thing to behold. Our deceased relatives and friends will be with us for all eternity. This is a wonderful thought. It leads me to pray:

Prayer:

            Heavenly Father you are an awesome wonderful God. When we even try to comprehend what you have done for us, we cannot wrap our finite minds around it. You are infinite in love, kindness, and forgiveness. We thank you for sending Jesus to earth to show us what you are like. We confess that we often take you for granted dear Lord. We only ask that you help us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, so that we may live a life that is pleasing in your sight. Amen.   

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Welcoming the Unwelcome

-
  Scripture: Luke 7:36-38 (NIV) 36  When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37  A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38  As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and poured perfume on them. Devotion:             First of all, some warnings to my readers. This post will exceed the 500 words I try to limit my posts. Second, this post will contain content people may find offensive or otherwise unfit for print. Please understand that my purpose is neither to offend nor upset but to provoke thought and, hopefully, respectful dialog.             We will use Luke chapter seven as an aid to interpreting the events that occurred last Thursday at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. On that da
Read more

Father Forgive Them

-
  Scripture: Luke 23:33-34 (ESV) 33  And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34  And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Devotion:             The situation Jesus finds himself in here in today’s scripture is difficult for us to even imagine. A sham trial, no credible accusations of any kind, let alone any deserving of death, and yet here he is. A brilliant Rabbi, a teacher of the people who never led even one person astray from God’s will. This Holy One of God soon to be food for vultures.             This man who had done nothing wrong had no one in all the crowds who would speak up in his defense lest they be next to face the cross. An innocent man hung between two scoundrels. No voice from heaven declaring that this was the man that they were killing was actually the true Son of God. (See Matthew 3:17, Matthew 17:5, John 12:28) No the heaven
Read more

Transgenderism letter

-
  This is a copy of my letter to my senators, representative, and President Biden. January 15, 2024 Dear President Biden, Senators T. Duckworth, R. Durbin, and Representative D. LaHood             I am writing to you because I am concerned about the situation affecting our children and grandchildren, namely transitioning them from one gender to another. This nation must adjust course concerning these “interventions” because they are dangerous, irreversible, and life-changing. Our country should not be permitting these procedures on minor children under any circumstances. We must also make sure that adults who seek this care are given informed consent as to the risks versus benefits of sex reassignment treatments.             There are many drawbacks to gender-affirming care for minors. Besides the loss of any ability to give or receive sexual pleasure and sterility these treatments cause, there are social and psychological effects that we have no way of identifying because these
Read more