Hebrews 12

I am considering Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that I will not grow weary. I am remembering the man who endured the cross because of the joy set before Him. Seriously, I have not even resisted to the point of shedding my blood in my struggle against sin.

I have been called back to Hebrews 12 repeatedly over the past few months. It seems that so many of my personal struggles against sin and my desire to live a life of Joy are summed up and addressed in this chapter. All scripture is useful for teaching, correcting and guiding me, but the Lord keeps bringing me back to this section. I could chew on it all day. Maybe part of my problem is that in actuality I don't chew on this section all day and so easily forget all that it says as I go through certain days and certain situations. But, the Lord in His mercy keeps calling me back, keeps molding me and shaping me. Thank you Lord for not growing weary of me.

I think it is easy for me to discern incorrectly certain struggles in my life and think I am suffering for Christ when in fact, I am suffering because of pride and selfishness. That is not the kind of suffering that produces the joy set before me. My prayer is that those struggles would be crucified daily and taken captive and crushed into obedience to Christ. I pray that my suffering would be the struggles that result from sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ and being obedient to his call.

It is here where I must remind anyone that reads this that I am not a prolific writer or expounder of the Word. I simply know what the Spirit reveals to me, or I am taught by those who know it well. I do not claim to be a Bible scholar, just a lover of the Lord and His Word in my life.

I pray that each of us would chew on His Word, love God, love others and serve in obedience out of the love and grace that God has poured out onto us through His son Jesus Christ. This is my prayer; these are the cries of my heart. These are the things I pray for in my life and for you the one that reads this.