Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
  April 23, 2024
Hebrews 12:1-11
1 So then, with endurance, let’s also run the race that is laid out in front of us, since we have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us. Let’s throw off any extra baggage, get rid of the sin that trips us up, 2 and fix our eyes on Jesus, faith’s pioneer and perfecter. He endured the cross, ignoring the shame, for the sake of the joy that was laid out in front of him, and sat down at the right side of God’s throne. 3 Think about the one who endured such opposition from sinners so that you won’t be discouraged and you won’t give up. 4 In your struggle against sin, you haven’t resisted yet to the point of shedding blood, 5 and you have forgotten the encouragement that addresses you as sons and daughters: My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline or give up when you are corrected by him, 6 because the Lord disciplines whomever he loves, and he punishes every son or daughter whom he accepts. 7 Bear hardship for the sake of discipline. God is treating you like sons and daughters! What child isn’t disciplined by his or her father? 8 But if you don’t experience discipline, which happens to all children, then you are illegitimate and not real sons and daughters. 9 What’s more, we had human parents who disciplined us, and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live? 10 Our human parents disciplined us for a little while, as it seemed best to them, but God does it for our benefit so that we can share his holiness. 11 No discipline is fun while it lasts, but it seems painful at the time. Later, however, it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness for those who have been trained by it.
Good Morning! Rejoice in the Lord!
I had a period where I was walking/running regular races: 5k, 10k, and Half-Marathons. Like many things in my life, I do things differently. I entered my first race at 48 years old and my first half-marathon at 51. I have long been an avid walker but never a runner. My expectation when I entered these races was not to compete against others and finish near the top but to complete the race, gradually lower my time, and improve my overall health.Â
Our earthly race is our faith journey. It is not a sprint but an endurance race. Like a runner, you don’t want to carry extra weight or baggage that will slow you down. At times, our race resembles an obstacle race. Think of riding a bicycle. What happens when you keep your eyes on the ground in front of you? You run into something or fall down. As scary as it might seem to a young rider, you must keep your eyes focused on where you are going.
As Christians, our destination is eternal life. We must look to Christ to finish our race. If we focus on our obstacles, our extra baggage, and our sins, we become mired in them. No matter how difficult our current situation is, we must continue to fix our eyes upon Jesus.Â
1 So then, with endurance, let’s also run the race that is laid out in front of us, since we have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us. Let’s throw off any extra baggage, get rid of the sin that trips us up, 2 and fix our eyes on Jesus, faith’s pioneer and perfected.Â
Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of his glory and grace.
Gracious God, Thank you for this beautiful gift of life. By your grace, the Holy Spirit will lead us through our troubles as we continue on our faith journey. We thank you! In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: God will provide strength for all who focus on Christ.
Fix your eyes on Jesus! Pastor Liz