Daily Devotional

-July 27, 2021-

Good morning, happy Tuesday,

-Running With Endurance The Race Set Before Us-

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”

(Hebrews 12:1).

The 2020 Summer Olympics are well underway in Tokyo, Japan. It was postponed last year due to COVID-19, and arguably should have been pushed out another year due to the new Delta variant. The Summer Games has always been one of my favorite sporting events. I so enjoy watching athletes from all over the world gathering and competing. They have prepared all their lives for this moment. They have trained, practiced, and sacrificed to be ready to compete. Many will win gold, silver, and bronze metals and prize money that goes with them. So many others will not bring home any medals, only the joy of participation.

The marathon is one of the most grueling and challenging of all the events at the Games and comes at the very end before the closing ceremonies. It is race of 26.2 miles that ends with a lap around the stadium to the finish line. Only one can win the race and just three can take home medals. There are no preliminary rounds, just one race for the men and one for the women.

In the days of the NT, athletes competed in Greece and the long distance race was one of the most important. The writer of Hebrews, familiar with it, uses the race as an analogy of Christian life. It says in our text to, “run with endurance the race that is set before us.” But before he says that he tells us of the needed preparation. We only see the runners at the starting line, during the race, and at the finish line. We don’t see all the training and effort they have put in to build up their endurance.

Here in our text we see what must do in our Christian lives in order to run with endurance: lay aside every weight, and the sin that so easily entangles us. Runners must be as light as possible in their clothing and shoes; any extra weight will slow them down. For us, the weight of our worries, cares, fears, and doubts can interfere with our performance. Sin of course, in any form is the ultimate hindrance and detriment to us.

We have two great rooting sections cheering us on: a cloud of witnesses, who are all those saints that are found in Hebrews chapter 11 and Jesus Christ our Lord, our great coach. We are nearing the finish line, and like the runners in the Olympics, we need encouragement to finish the race strong. This year due to the pandemic and spread of the virus in Japan, there are no spectators to see it live.

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 9:24-25, “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate (or is self-controlled) in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we an imperishable crown.” In Paul days the athletes didn’t win precious medals, thousands of dollars, or sign lucrative endorsement contracts, they were given a wreath which was very perishable.

May the Lord help us to run with endurance the race that is set before us. It is long and challenging, but we can make it with the Lord’s help. Let us cast off any hindrance and reject every sin. The finish line is just ahead at the Lord’s coming. May we keep running all the way to the victory!

Have a blessed day running the race set before us with endurance, effort, and energy. Stay safe and healthy.

In His grace,

Dean