Devotional: April - May 2007

Run…with patience?

I am so excited about the topic of this month’s devotion.  For a couple of weeks now, God has been speaking to me about a portion of Hebrews 12:1.  I had something completely different planned for this month, but God had a different plan!

“…let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.”  --Hebrews 12:1b

Run with patience.  Hmmm…. That doesn’t seem to make much sense.  When you run, you’re usually trying to get somewhere quickly.  Especially in a race!  So what’s the deal?  Well, let’s back up to preparing for a race.   “…lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us…”  I looked up “weight” as used in this verse and this is the actual meaning: a mass (as bending or bulging by its load) i.e. burden (hindrance).  Obviously, if you are going to run a race, but you are carrying an object on your back that actually bends you over because of its size and weight, you are not going to get very far.  Even if I had the patience of Job, I believe I’d get pretty ticked off trying to run with such a burden!  But, you see, that’s what we do in our “race” to heaven.  We try to run with the weight of the world on our shoulders.  We know what sin is and that it can beset (overwhelm, weigh down, plague) us.  But what are weights?  As stated in the meaning, it’s anything that weighs us down.  It may be different for you than me.  It could be a bad habit, worldly friends, negative people, excessively time-consuming activities, etc.  Sometimes it’s something that’s not bad in and of itself, but it controls too much of your time or mind.  There was a time I loved to watch a particular show on Tuesday evenings.  The show was not a bad show, but I got to the point where I was planning my entire day and even week around this program.  I would even put off my time with the Lord sometimes just because I had to watch this show.  Before I knew it, it had become a weight.  Not a bad show, just something that had too much control over me.  I cut it out completely.  The only thing I want controlling me is the Spirit of the Lord!  So whatever the weight or sin is, lay it aside.  That’s your first step. 

But where does the “run with patience” thing come in?  I have been running my race for many years.  The longer I run, the more I realize I’m not as “in shape” as I would like to be!  And I don’t run as fast as other people!   At times the thought of the distance is overwhelming.  That’s where the patience comes in.  This isn’t a 50-yard dash we’re on.  It’s more like the Boston Marathon!  When you sprint, you run as fast as you can for a short distance.  But when you run a marathon, you must run with patience.  Lay aside the weight; get your eyes fixed on the prize; pace yourself.  Understand that you are not going to do everything exactly right in the first mile.  Don’t even try to work on everything in the first mile!  You’ll just be ready to give up.  But if you yield to the Spirit of God, you may get it right in the second or third mile!   And God will still be working on you until the last mile.  Exercise your faith!  And whatever you do, just keep running! 

Don’t ever give up.  The best is yet to come!

--Sonya