Run with confidence and endurance

Hebrews 12:1 has so much for us to consider when it comes to living to love with Jesus.  So today, let’s zero in on running the race that is set before us with endurance. 12:1. 
“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,” Everyone in the cloud of witnesses endured to the end of their lives. The imagery in this verse is like that of the arena where races were run. You can imagine the cloud of witnesses in the arena cheering on their favorite runner in each event. The author views each of the witnesses in the cloud as runners who had also previously competed and won their races. The runners didn’t just run for the fun of it. They also didn’t decide how far they were going to run after the starting gun went off. Their races were “set before them.” The finish line was the end of their lives, and their inheritance in Christ was the reward for finishing well.  All of the readers of Hebrews are running their races in the presence of those who have run before them, and we are in the current generation’s heat. Have you noticed that many are dropping out of the race? When they hit a “wall,” they quit. When they look at how much farther they have to run, they consider their own weakness and negative feelings, get discouraged, and give up. In the author’s words, they “shrink back” (10:39). Listen again to the encouragement from 10:35-36 and this verse of chapter 12. “Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.” “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” We are all at different stages in our races. Some of you are in the early laps, some are near the halfway point, and others of us can see the finish line. Wherever you are, consider those who have gone before us, like those of chapter 11, hear them cheering us on, yelling things like, “God will be faithful; keep running. Don’t get distracted by others running their races; run the race God has set for you. Throw off your doubt, unbelief, and discouragement. Fix your eyes on Jesus, who has run the same race, runs with you now, and is waiting at the finish line to reward you.” That’s how you run the race with endurance, and that’s tomorrow’s verse, so I’ll wrap up today’s encouragement right there. See and hear the cloud of witnesses cheering you on, and run with confidence today as you live to love with Jesus.