Eternal Perspective (Daily Devotional)

Hello everyone! It’s such a joy to meet each of you in this devotional. We are considering Hebrews chapter 12 and the encouragement, that the writer brings to a discouraged and weary community during his days. So we see here in Hebrews chapter 12, verses 1 and 2 - Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. So, we see how Jesus in His walk, never gave up. He completed the purpose that God had for Him, in fact in John chapter 4, verse 34, this is what Jesus said. He said, ‘My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work.’ Think about it, that was His entire focus- to do what God sent Him to do. He says, that is my food, I get my nourishment, my encouragement from there, the fact that I’m doing what God has called me to do. So, anything that causes distraction, anything that deters us from the purpose of God, we have every reason to fight it. Now what was a secret that Jesus carried? Notice here in these very verses, we see that He endured the cross, why? If we back up a little earlier, it says, ‘for the joy that was set before Him’. So, Jesus was able to go through something as painful, it began with people opposing, accusing Him, that can cause an immense amount of emotional trauma, difficulty, pain and also later on having been beaten physically; we cannot even imagine the agony our Savior went through to get on that cross for us. Now why did He do it, or how could He do it? Because of the joy that was set before Him. So, we understand that He carried an eternal perspective; He thought about what going through the crucifixion would bring for the people whom God had created, what it would do to the relationship that God has with human being whom He had created, and He knew that if He could endure the cross, it would mean the redemption of mankind. He was joyful about it, He was also joyful about the fact that man’s relationship with God would be restored and not only that, Jesus on earth, He was in this physical body, and He was so in line with the Father. I’m sure He was also looking forward to rejoining His Father’s presence. That was the joy set before Him. So, the Lord Jesus went through the challenges of life by looking at the things He is going to receive if He manages to endure those challenges. That holds true for us as well, as we journey through life, maybe it’s a job/ career that we are striving with or a ministry, but as we look at what that is going to produce, we will have the strength to endure. So, I encourage us to look at the outcome and the joy and that will give us the courage to go through the challenges of today. Let’s pray together, Heavenly Father, we thank you for the life of Jesus and His wonderful example of enduring the cross because of His love for us and we pray that you would give us the same grace and strength to go through our struggles and be overcomers, in Jesus’s name we pray, Amen.

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