Run Life's Race with Courageous Endurance
Daily Scripture
Hebrews 11:36-12:3
36 But others experienced public shame by being taunted and whipped; they were even put in chains and in prison. 37 They were stoned to death, they were cut in two, and they died by being murdered with swords. They went around wearing the skins of sheep and goats, needy, oppressed, and mistreated. 38 The world didn’t deserve them. They wandered around in deserts, mountains, caves, and holes in the ground.
39 All these people didn’t receive what was promised, though they were given approval for their faith. 40 God provided something better for us so they wouldn’t be made perfect without us.
12:1 So then, with endurance, let’s also run the race that is laid out in front of us, since we have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us. Let’s throw off any extra baggage, get rid of the sin that trips us up, 2 and fix our eyes on Jesus, faith’s pioneer and perfecter. He endured the cross, ignoring the shame, for the sake of the joy that was laid out in front of him, and sat down at the right side of God’s throne.
3 Think about the one who endured such opposition from sinners so that you won’t be discouraged and you won’t give up.
Daily Reflection & Prayer
Hebrews 11 listed people whose courage led to rescue and others whose courage led to death. Both were examples of faith. God was with all of them, but faithful endurance regardless of results defines courageous Christian leadership, not outward success or personal safety. In the violent Roman Empire, the writer knew clearly that God didn’t always stop evil’s violence in its tracks. That’s why, earlier, the writer said Jesus had “set free those who were held in slavery their entire lives by their fear of death” (Hebrews 2:15). That willingness to die rather than give up their loyalty to God frustrated the Roman persecutors. But it moved and inspired other people—the faith grew rather than shrinking under Roman persecution. Frederick Buechner said God’s grace means, “Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don’t be afraid. I am with you. Nothing can ever separate us.” * Their ultimate reward was not now, but in “a better country… a heavenly one” (Hebrews 11:16).
- Scholar William Barclay quoted F. R. Maltby: “Jesus promised his disciples three things—that they would be completely fearless, absurdly happy and in constant trouble.” * Jesus led courageously not by avoiding pain but by meeting it with his eyes fixed on “the joy that was laid out in front of him.” What lay beyond the cross defined his leadership more than the cross itself. So Hebrews said to “fix our eyes on Jesus, faith’s pioneer and perfecter,” who “endured the cross.” Christian thinker Dallas Willard wrote, “With this magnificent God positioned among us, Jesus brings the assurance that our universe is a perfectly safe place for us to be.” *** Colossians 3:3 said, “Think about the things above and not things on earth. You died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” In Christ, God puts your life safely out of the reach of all the world’s evil. When you need to exert costly leadership, what “joy laid out in front of you,” what vision of God’s kingdom advancing, can keep you going?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, I want to live a life of inner quiet and trust, no matter what storms may rage around me. Hold me safely in your arms to and beyond the end of my earthly life’s journey. Amen.
GPS Insights
Alejandro Flores
During 2025 we are introducing you to writers from our global Missions partners every few weeks. They add perspective to our understanding of Resurrection's reach around the world.
Alejandro Flores, who is a pastor, husband, father, and school principal, wrote today's Insights. Alejandro has been a pastoring since 2008. He began leading “Rain of Blessings,” a United Methodist Church in the village of El Obraje, Honduras in 2012. He cares deeply about the younger generations focusing on their education and raising them up to be leaders in the church and in their community.
Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond our understanding! The life of God’s children is full of vicissitudes; some are wondrous, bringing great joy and happiness, and others generate pain and sorrow. For example:
“Then the king gave the order, and Daniel was brought and thrown into the lions’ den. And coming near the den, he called out to Daniel in a sorrowful voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?” Daniel answered the king, “O king, live forever!” My God sent his angel, who shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not harm me. Then the king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den.” (Daniel 6:16, 19-23)
“For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” (1 Timothy 4:6-8)
The apostle Paul was beheaded in Rome after preaching the gospel throughout Asia Minor and parts of southern Europe. His faith, dedication, courage, and hard work led him to say, “For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
“Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were killed with the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted, and mistreated—the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and holes in the ground.” (Hebrews 11:36-38)
Christ Jesus called these people, regardless of their leadership differences, because they were loyal and persevering at all times. “Therefore, 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, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:1-2)
“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:1-3)
God called me from a very young age and has guided me throughout my life. I have faced difficult situations. I was born into a farming family, living day to day, without the resources to study. Despite all this, I managed to graduate with great difficulty, but the Lord has been good. He has always guided me, always helped me, and comforted me in the worst moments. How can I deny Him if He alone has brought good into my life? I have promised the Lord to finish my race and be able to say, like John Wesley, “the most important thing is that God is with us.”
© 2025 Resurrection: A United Methodist Church. All Rights Reserved.
Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
References
* From https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/346052-the-grace-of-god-means-something-like-here-is-your.
** William Barclay, The Gospel of Luke (Revised Edition). Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1975, p. 77.
*** Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy: Discovering our Hidden Life in God. HarperSanFrancisco, 1997, p. 66.
