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32 And what more should I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 35 Women received their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured, refusing to accept release, in order to obtain a better resurrection. 36 Others suffered mocking and flogging and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned to death; they were sawn in two; they were killed by the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, persecuted, tormented— 38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains and in caves and holes in the ground.

39 Yet all these, though they were commended for their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40 since God had provided something better so that they would not, apart from us, be made perfect.

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

 

We are not running alone. We fix our eyes on Jesus. He is the pioneer and perfecter of our faith—the One who ran the race before us, endured the cross … and now reigns in glory. In Him, we find both the strength to persevere and the promise that our hope rests not in ourselves but in the joy set before us in Christ.

Dear Lord, we are here for You … because of You! Help us run with perseverance the race that has been set before us … always looking to You. Amen!

Deborah Schroeder-Saulnier deborah@excelleadershipsolutions.com

 

Prayer Concern: For all to have the certainty that we can run the race because He gives us the strength to do so.