Thursday, November 5, 2009
Hebrews 12:1 Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
LEARN A LESSON FROM SAINTS OF THE PAST
Hebrews 11 (the so-called "Halls of Faith" chapter) provides an extensive list of saints of days gone by who grounded their hopes in Christ. People like Abel and Noah, Abraham and Sarah, Moses and Gideon. We may wonder: Why did the Holy Spirit choose to provide us with this list? As we read through this list and consider the heroic feats these saints were able to accomplish, we might be inclined to feel a bit "spiritually overmatched" and discouraged. We might be tempted to think: "No way I could ever do things for the Lord like Samson did!"
But wait! The Holy Spirit did not provide this list of heroes to discourage us. He did so for the opposite reason. He wants us to remember and consider how these people were basically the same kind of people we are. They experienced the same day-to-day spiritual struggles. They entertained the same doubts and fears. They battled against the same evil forces we encounter along life's bumpy road. Yet with all their weaknesses, faults, and fears, the God of grace did not find it difficult to utilize them to accomplish His holy purposes. He used them in many wonderful ways.
In the same way He uses His saints of today. He blesses us through the Word with the same childlike trust in His Gospel promises. He gives us strength through that Word to fight the good fight of faith. He enables us to run the race that lies ahead of us and to never give up till we reach the heavenly finish line, with the eyes of our faith fixed upon Jesus.
Oh, may Thy soldiers, faithful, true and bold,
Fight as the saints who nobly fought of old
And win with them the victor's crown of gold. Alleluia!
(The Lutheran Hymnal, 463:3)
