“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the Word of God…By faith Abel…by faith Enoch…Noah…Abraham…Isaac…Jacob…Joseph…Moses…by faith the people crossed the Red Sea…” – Hebrews 11:1ff
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured from sinners such hostility against Himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.” – Hebrews 12:1-3
Our story is a story of faith…trust…assurance…the conviction of things not seen. It is a story about a relationship between God and His people…between your Heavenly Father and you. As we embark on this last week of our Lenten journey we are reminded that our personal story is part of the bigger story….an “epic” tale that started “In the beginning” and continues to this day.
In today’s Scripture, God gives us a summary of this “faith” story by listing a few that have modeled for us what it means to follow this path. Yes, we are walking the same path as Abraham and Moses. We need to be reminded regularly that we are the continuation of this great and wonderful narrative.
The faithfulness of those who have gone before us has laid a foundation for us to stand on and set an example for us to follow. They lived lives of faith and persevered so that we might have the same opportunity to participate in the story. Hebrews 11 is known as the “Hall of Faith” because it reminds us that our story is one that has been going on a long time. A story scripted by a Divine Author where every person is important to the greater story.
Chapter 12 begins with the word “therefore” which tells us that this rich heritage should motivate us to also be faithful in our individual faith story. It is a “race” that has been set before us. It is a relay race that has passed a baton from believer to believer through the ages…and, now has been passed to you!
Our part is to keep our eyes on the Author and finisher of our story…Jesus. In order to do that we must lay aside the things that would so easily distract us and the sins that can trip us up. Even though we are forgiven and free we still have a responsibility to pursue the design for our life that God has set before us. This comes easier as we trust our Father with every aspect of our journey. This is a part of “growing” or “maturing” in our faith.
We should also be inspired by Jesus Himself who modeled for us an obedience that persevered through suffering…the cross…in order to receive the joy that awaited Him. In other words, there are rewards in our story! There are benefits…blessings…that we enjoy when we live by the faith defined above. The deep joy, the inner peace, and an unshakable hope are just some of the things that can be ours when our focus is on our relationship with Jesus.
It is believing the promise and holding on to these things that give us the strength for day to day living in a world that can be quite challenging at times.
So, the challenge today is to lay aside the distractions and get your focus back on Jesus and His great sacrifice that makes your life possible. You may be weary today…Don’t give up…you have the privilege of carrying the baton passed down through the ages and you will be responsible to pass it to the next generation.
Today, your story continues the One story.