Faith Photos Series: Jesus (9/4/2022)
Founder & Perfecter, Hebrews 12:1-3, Jesus
Tag: Hebrews 12:1-3
No Substitute for Preparedness
endurance, Hebrews 12:1-3, obstacles, preparation, Runkeeper, running the race, tribulation, walks
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Greetings, Visitors and New Beginnings Family! Pour yourself a cup of coffee if you want, then pull up a chair for the latest edition of Coffee with Gary. Today’s blog is a follow-up to the previous blog entitled, “An Excellent Suggestion.”
In a previous blog, I talked about the unnecessary obstacles to running our race within the context of Hebrews 12:1-3. In this blog, I’ll talk about the necessary obstacles in our path and how to overcome them to finish our race and obtain the prize.
On a recent walk, my wife and I faced two separate obstacles to finishing our predetermined course. In both instances, we needed to walk home, pause Runkeeper, and take care of the problems that unexpectedly arose.
Now I’m the kind of person that likes rhythm. Anything that gets in my way from start to finish tends to upset me. However, based on my experiential knowledge of the course, we finished with the same mileage as the previous day. Furthermore, we finished in enough time for me to watch one of my favorite TV westerns!
Preparation, through familiarity, helped us to overcome the unexpected but necessary obstacles we faced to finish our walk. Another example of preparedness is our family budget. Adherence to a budget helps us to meet unexpected financial demands.
By telling His disciples to expect tribulations in this world, Jesus prepared them for what was to come (John 16:33). However, Jesus also encouraged His disciples to “take heart” because He has overcome the world. Thus, I refer to these tribulations as necessary because they are a normal part of the Christian life. Examples of these can include persecution, temptation, financial peril, sickness, death, COVID-19, isolation, and social upheaval, to name a few.
What else can we do to prepare ourselves for tribulation? The first step to preparation is an experiential knowledge of God. Knowledge of God comes by the repeated reading and practice of God’s Word. Then by faith, we need to take God at His Word. Many of the tribulations we face have specific promises attached to them to comfort us. For instance, when God heals us, we know that our healing comes by the stripes on Jesus’s back (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24). Other promises tell us that God will meet our needs (Philippians 4:19). We also know that we will never have to face more than we can handle (1 Corinthians 10:13).
Finally, for us to endure tribulation, we have as our example, Jesus, who blazed a trail for us to follow. Consider Hebrews 12:2 and the path set before Jesus. Verse 2b tells us of the obstacle (cross) standing in between Jesus and His joy. By enduring the cross and scorning its shame, Jesus overcame death to sit at the right hand of the throne of God on the other side of the cross.
Likewise, with our eyes set on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, let us endure the temporary tribulations of this life. Lastly, Hebrews 12:3 instructs us to consider all that Jesus went through so that we will not grow weary and lose heart. Jesus followed the path set before Him to claim His joy, and through Jesus, so can we.
Your fellow pilgrim in looking for a country of our own (Hebrews 11:13-16),
Gary
An Excellent Suggestion
Ecclesiastes 9:11, Hebrews 12:1-3, perseverance, race, walk
Greetings Visitors and New Beginnings Family. Pour yourself a cup of coffee, if you will, and pull up a chair for the latest edition of “Coffee with Gary”. Today’s post is noteworthy because it was suggested to me by my wonderful wife, Linda!
For many years my wife has been encouraging me to accompany her on her regular walks around the neighborhood. However, her gracious invitations have often fallen upon deaf ears. That was until Governor Evers issued his COVID-19 safer-at-home directive. Under the “safer-at-home” directive, I became infected with cabin fever. Suddenly, I felt the urge to get out of the house and join my wife on her walks. Naturally, she could not have been happier by my sudden recovery.
To record our mileage, I installed Runkeeper on my phone. In addition to mileage, Runkeeper records time and elevation climbed. After we finish the walk, I save the results for our weekly, monthly, and annual progress reports. For instance, in May, we had gone on 23 walks covering 44.6 miles in nearly 18 hours. Our average pace was just over 24 minutes per mile. Our total elevation climb was 1,969 feet. To put that number into perspective, the Empire State Building is 1,250 feet high!
It was on one of those walks that my wife suggested that I should write about our walking activities. Suddenly the gears in my head went to work thinking about how our daily walks relate to Biblical principles. Since we were only walking, I immediately thought of Ecclesiastes 9:11. A line in that passage reads, “The race is not to the swift.” From there, I thought of our cumulative totals and how they relate to Christian perseverance within the context of Hebrews 12:1-3.
Regular strolls of two miles can be more difficult for us depending on the outside temperature and relative humidity. On those days, we walk at a slower pace early in the morning. In this way, we are laying aside the weight of heat and humidity. On other days, we start walking with our jackets on just to find ourselves carrying them at the end. Ultimately, we found that it is better to leave our jackets at home and let the exercise warm our bodies. For the Christian, Hebrews 12:1-3 instructs us to lay aside the sin that weighs us down and run the race set before us with perseverance.
By walking the same route every day, I know where all the milestones are. For instance, there is a fire hydrant that marks the end of an elevation climb. On our third and final lap, I often use that fire hydrant to remind my wife that there is only one hill left to climb. That last hill is a short hill adjacent to our yard at the end of our walk. Incidentally, only those milestones ahead of us can actually encourage us to finish.
For the Christian, Hebrews 12:1-3 instructs us to keep our eyes on Jesus. No matter where we are along life’s journey, we only need to look ahead to find Jesus encouraging us to keep going. If we fail to lay aside our sins or take our eyes off Jesus, we will inevitably encounter unnecessary obstructions to running our race.
Remember the race between the tortoise and the hare? The hare possessed all the natural ability needed to win. However, he was arrogant and lazy. The tortoise, through discipline, progressed at a deliberate and constant pace. In the end, the tortoise won the race.
By following the example of the tortoise, my wife and I have logged many miles. What is impossible for us to do in a day we did in a month through perseverance. I pray the same is also true of our Christian walks.
Your fellow pilgrim in looking for a country of our own. (Hebrews 11:13-16)
Gary