August 26 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Devotional

Living a Christian life is like running a race. To run it well, we need to lay aside our sins and the spiritual handicaps that would make progress impossible or hinder us in running. We also need to be encouraged and instructed by the "cloud of witnesses" who "by faith" ran and obtained the prize. Above all, our eyes must be fixed on Jesus.

Jesus is the "pioneer and perfecter of faith." When it comes to faith and endurance, he is the one who has showed us how. It may be true that earlier witnesses (all those mentioned in chapter 11) give us plenty of incen­tive. But Christ is faith's trailblazer, and he himself ran the race from start to finish. In him faith and endurance have reached perfection.

This time the writer is not talking about faith in Jesus but the faith of Jesus. If we are to triumph in our contest, we must learn from Jesus how to believe and how to endure. "For the joy set before him he endured the cross." He endured the pain, scorned its shame, and was finally rewarded for his unwavering faith in God. Now he is seated at the right hand of God, having run the race.

The whole life of Jesus was characterized by faith in the Father. He accepted the ordeal of the cross because his Father had prepared it for him. "Not my will, but yours be done," he prayed (Luke 22:42). And in all the taunting, mocking, and rejecting, he was supported by his faith in God.

Jesus' death on the cross was not only painful but shameful. It was a punishment for those who were considered less than human. No Roman citizen could be crucified. Such a cruel punishment would bring dishonor to the Roman name. For Jesus, however, the disgrace was not worthy to be taken into account, for it was a matter of obedience to the Father and of reaching the joy of the end of the race.

Thus Jesus inspires and encourages us to run with endurance, until we share his glory.

REFLECTIONS

What helps you keep your eyes fixed on Jesus?

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published by Paideia Press in 1977. This updated edition is copyright 2009 by Faith Alive Christian Resources. You can order a copy of this revised version of the book directly from the publisher.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this updated edition of Daylight are from the Holy Bible: Today's New International Version copyright 2001, 2005 by the International Bible Society.