Hope Rising

Currently Listening to:
Shawn McDonald
Simply Nothing
http://www.shawnmcdonaldmusic.com/

Hello Again!

I've been working my way through the book of Hebrews lately and this morning I stumbled upon a passage that made me stop and think. The author has just finished the infamous "Heroes of the Faith" chapter and begins the 12th chapter with what should be our response to this message:

"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entables us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right had of the throne of God" (1-2).

A great many preachers have spent much time on these verses and have delivered volleys of inspirational and challenging messages, but this wasn't the part that caught my attention. The next two verses are ones that I have read before, but never gave the time to let them sink in...

"For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin;" (3-4).

God was made flesh, veiling His majesty, and humbled Himself to the point of death on the cross. This is our Savior, this is our Hero. Christ endured more than any of us, yet He did it all without any blemish of sin. Earlier on in Hebrews (chapters 2-5), the writer speaks of Christ as our great high priest; one who can relate to us because He was fully man, and was tempted in every way that we are but without sin, and one who was an acceptable and pleasing sacrifice to God because He was fully Divine. I find so much comfort from these truths. Because Jesus was a man, he knows full well the pains and sorrows and temptations that we suffer. And so it is Him we look to for perseverance and hope.

Verse four convicted me deeply. Read it once more, "You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin." Think about it: how often do we, when temptation arises, resist it to the point of "shedding blood?" I find myself at many times apathetic when it comes to battling sin and temptation. But the writer of Hebrews exhorts us to persevere and to daily fight the good fight.

So often I find myself growing weary and losing heart in my struggle against the world, my flesh, and Satan. But when I read this I was so needfully reminded that I need only to look to Christ and His struggles to be given hope. The psalmist encourages us:

"Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the Lord." (31:24)

and...

"I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; from where shall my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth... The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The Lord will guard you going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever." (121:1-2,7-8)