Daily Bible Reading - kindly provided by Premier and the Bible Society
Do have a look at the
Premier Daily Bible reading below. It is really so good.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. Thursday 06 February
Hebrews 12:1
Over the years I have played lots of different sports with a great deal of enthusiasm and, truth to tell, not much success. However, I have had a number of friends and acquaintances who have been enormously successful in their chosen sport and they have all deeply impressed me. My main reflection is that they were all incredibly disciplined. Their diets were carefully designed and observed, and they gave a huge amount of time to ensuring that they were constantly practising and improving. They had a determination to give their absolute best. In our verse today the writer pictures Christians as athletes who are running a race infinitely more important than any sport, and makes the obvious point that we need to get rid of anything that slows us down. You clearly wouldn’t enter an elite race wearing heavy clothes or lugging a suitcase. And so, he encourages his Christian friends to identify any weights that might slow them down and to get rid of them.
The writer pictures the Old Testament men and women of faith, whom he has described in the previous chapter, in the stadium roaring their encouragement to those who are running the race. This is such an important word for us to hear today as we face the innumerable challenges of living for Christ in the 21st century. The circumstances of our society are, of course, very different from those who have gone before, but we can still draw enormous encouragement from their lives. Like us they were flawed and frail human beings, but they hung in there and we need to be inspired by their faithful lives despite incredible challenges, opposition and persecution.
The race ahead of us is bound to be demanding and so we will need to give the best of us to ensure that we are not allowing anything to get in the way of running well. This is infinitely more important than any sport.
QUESTION
Consider this carefully: what could you do to enable yourself to run more effectively for God?
PRAYER
Loving Father, help me to listen to the inspiration and encouragement from those who have lived the life of faith in the past. Help me to run well for you today. Amen
Stewardship
Stewardship believes that generosity is more than financial giving—it’s about living faithfully with all that God has given us. Imagine a world where every gift and every effort is stewarded to its fullest potential. We’re on a mission to make this a reality by helping Christians become the best stewards they can be. Whether you want to give generously, gather faithfully funds or grow your ministry with purpose – Stewardship has the expertise, tools and resources to help you. Find out more.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE.....
Be Still and Know Devotional podcast
Bring some Spirit-filled peace into your hectic schedule with the Be still & know podcast released every morning.
Be still & know podcastBMS World Mission
At BMS World Mission we do mission differently. It’s not ‘us’ going to ‘them’, it’s partnerships growing from the ground up. We connect people in the West to the Global Church, empower communities and change lives at the margins, where Jesus Christ calls us to be.
Click to find out about doing mission differently.
===========================================================
We also use this Daily Bible Study. It is an excellent all-rounder. Please
CLICK to see a new Bible Study every day. Don't forget you have a major faith resources section on this site. You can use it to find materials or to contact churches in RAF Boulmer or around Denwick. You can find church services on holiday by changing the site Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.