Never Lose Heart Hebrews 12:1-3

 DEVOTION

TO HEBREWS

NEVER LOSE HEART

Heb 12:1-3

12:1 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 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him 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 sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

NIV

Now it is time to look to Jesus. We know the story, we know from what has been recorded that he suffered at the hands of both the Jews and the Romans. First, he suffered hatred to the point they were guilty of his murder, of his death on the cross, the humiliation of hanging naked, beaten, bleeding, spat on, mocked, all for us. That cross is why Jesus came to earth so that joyfully, he would free us from the penalty of sin, and offer us eternal life. This act was the grace of God at work for his creation. Although it seems it is overused, John gives us the best of the best when he tells us that God so loved the world, that is us, that he gave his one and only Son so that whosoever, that is us, believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. The cross was only the starting point, with the grave just a bump in the road, so that He could be resurrected, so that we could also, and then he ascended, as we will also, to sit at the right hand of the Father, which according to Jesus, we will have that right as long as we remain in him and he in us. But our story is a little different. We do not have to go to the cross in the physical sense, but we do in the spiritual sense. We participate with Jesus whenever we take communion, doing it in remembrance of him. However, our lives are not always a bed of roses as we occasionally get stuck by the thorns. We may not be under that much pressure of opposition from sinful men, at least not like Jesus was. Still, the sinful world opposes the truth of God, rejecting the idea of faith in Jesus Christ as the only way to heaven. They have begun to reject all the symbols of Christianity from the public square while accepting many other religions. We have had some of our brothers and sisters in Christ killed in horrible ways throughout the world, by men who serve another god. Yet, in this country, we live in relative peace and somewhat free from persecution, at least if we don’t cause too many waves and generally go along with the norm. However, we also live in this perishable body that tends to fight us as our age increases. It is almost as if aches and pains are a normal way of life. Some are also less fortunate than others when it comes to the amount of creature comforts, and it seems some have better positions in the body the others, which both can result in jealousy, envy, and even bitterness. Life just is life and we must all endure whatever type of life we have no matter what, and never lose heart because of anything, either those aches and pains, the aging process, or for any other reason because of other believers, or the world around us. Our task is to follow Jesus, to believe, to have faith, to keep the faith, to walk in faith, always keeping our eyes on Jesus, focused on the finish line, the reward of eternal life in the presence of our Lord and Savior. We will never grow weary and lose heart.