Let us fix our eyes on Jesus...
Rebecca Lightfoot
After talking about “throwing off everything that hinders and the sin that entangles us” in Hebrews12:1-3,the next several verses basically say that “it” is not going to be easy to throw off what hinders us and the sin that entangles us->”In your struggle against sin,you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.And you have forgotten the word of encouragement(God’s Word&His Spirit)that addresses you as sons”.These verses talk about how God’s Awesome Sovereignty miraculously uses our struggles to grow us;mature us;strengthen us;correct us,etc.,as He guides us;matures us;teaches us;etc., as He uses all things/all struggles to miraculously & lovingly “grow us up” as only an all wise and all loving FATHER would(Romans8:28,”And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,for those who are called according to his purpose)!The devil means to use all these same struggles to tear us away from a lovingly relationship with our Heavenly Father/Our Creator.Just as there are a lot of influences in today’s world that seek to turn young people away from the love of their parents and ultimately to rebellion...,Satan is up to the same thing with respect to our relationship with our Father in Heaven!How we respond to struggles ultimately determines which way we go->will we swallow the deceptions of the devil and divorce ourselves from God/rebel from God:Or will we trust the love of God in the midst of life’s struggles and resist the deceptions&temptations that seek to lure us away from our Father in Heaven.The devil is satisfied with any loss of reverence for God that he can achieve in our lives! The devil usually starts by whittling away at our reverence for God’s Word-because that is where we begin to learn of the AWESOMENESS of God and His many Mercies!Our FATHER&CREATOR desires to use our struggles to grow us up into mature wise men&wise women that have Eternal Rights&Privileges given only to His sons&daughters as His Gifts through the Mercy&Grace of Christ.Satan means to use these struggles to lead us into deceptions of all kinds that lead us to doubting God’s Word;God’s Promises,&God’s Ways...,with the devil’s schemes ultimately leading us to divorcing ourselves from God as our Father in Heaven....rebellion from God.If we persevere with our REVERENCE for God and His Instruction for our lives through life’s struggles,then our struggles will be RIGHTLY addressed,and we will mature as God’s Great Love intended for us...and we will be blessed with the TRUTHS of Hebrews12:11,”No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”!Knowing these TRUTHS the writer of Hebrews leaves us with a PEP TALK in verses 12-13,”Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.”Make level paths for your feet," so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed”.The “lame” here refer to those who waver in their Christian Faith!So we must be deliberate about getting and keeping ourselves strong and in shape so we may be able to confront life’s struggles in a way that enables us to make level paths for our feet...,so as we live through every day we will know the Eternal Blessings of being beloved sons&daughters of Almighty God!And the starting point is “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus,the author and perfecter of our faith”(Hebrews12:2)!!Dear Lord,I already know of several struggles/challenges that are waiting for me today...!I pray for You to help me have a real-time awareness/alertness from You through Your Word and by Your Spirit that strengthens my feeble arms and weak knees...so I may remain faithful to You throughout all of my actions;words,& thoughts this day.