Hebrews 12:1-3 Lexham English Bible
The Example of Jesus’ Suffering
12 Therefore, since[a] we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, putting aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us[b], let us run with patient endurance the race that has been set before us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the originator and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider the one who endured such hostility by sinners against himself,[c] so that you will not grow weary in your souls and give up.
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Eyeballing The Example of Jesus’ Suffering
How many of us know and love the famous hymn, Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus?
There really is a sense of purity and weightiness to many of the hymns we sing.
But this one strikes a particularly intimate chord, beckoning us to look up and out beyond our distractions, disappointments, and even our despair.
Not only is it calling us to shift our perspective, but to fix our gaze on the face of our Lord.
It is there that all of the cares of this world dim and fade in the light of His love and glory.
This hymn truly is one of my absolute favorites.
I actually wasn’t exposed to it until a bit later in life, but it was so influential that decades later, I still have a vivid memory of the first time I heard it.
I was driving my car to Gatlinburg Tennessee when Michael W. Smith first shared a beautiful rendition of these beloved lyrics.
“Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.”
There is so much in our world that clamors for our attention.
In such a time of turbulent and volatile days as we are embroiled in right now, it is difficult to know exactly what or who we should be looking at or looking for.
Our challenges, our worries, our incessant need to be busy, and our constant pursuit of “happiness.”
All of which depletes our faith, steals our peace, and leaves us feeling lost, anxious, and hopeless.
This is the slippery slope that can so easily lead us astray.
Often, our distance from the Lord is not due to intentional rebellion but rather to a slow fading of affection.
As famously quoted by Corrie ten Boom,
“If the devil can’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy.”
True satisfaction can only be found in Him.
Nothing else will ever satisfy.
In preparation for sharing about this hymn in today’s devotional, I conducted a little research to learn more about its origin and authorship.
The hymn was penned by Helen Lemmel in 1922.
Her own words were inspired by the life and poetry of a female missionary named Lilias Trotter, who encouraged those around her to
“turn your soul’s vision to Jesus, and look and look at Him… for ‘He is worthy’ to have all there is to be had in the heart that He has died to win.”
Jesus was, is, and always will be the answer to our questions, the treasure to our pursuit of riches, and the fulfillment of our innermost desires.
The God-shaped hole in each of our hearts will never be satisfied by the lesser things of this world.
The struggle truly is real.
The noise and allure of all that surrounds us will constantly bombard our hearts and minds. It will never go away while we remain in this fallen world. As such, it requires focused intentional effort on our part to break free of earthly bonds.
But when we really think about it, the effort is so minimal.
All we have to do is look up and gird ourselves for what our Savior presents.
Just set down our phones, walk away from our planners, close our computers, or turn off the TV, and simply shift our gaze from the temporal to the eternal.
The Lord has already done all the hard work for us.
“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.” – Hebrews 12:2 (NIV)
The thing He is asking of us is to turn our eyes upon Him. As soon as we do, the things of this world will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.
Hebrews 8:6-13 The Message
6-13 But Jesus’ priestly work far surpasses what these other priests do, since he’s working from a far better plan. If the first plan—the old covenant—had worked out, a second wouldn’t have been needed. But we know the first was found wanting, because God said,
Heads up! The days are coming
when I’ll set up a new plan
for dealing with Israel and Judah.
I’ll throw out the old plan
I set up with their ancestors
when I led them by the hand out of Egypt.
They didn’t keep their part of the bargain,
so I looked away and let it go.
This new plan I’m making with Israel
isn’t going to be written on paper,
isn’t going to be chiseled in stone;
This time I’m writing out the plan in them,
carving it on the lining of their hearts.
I’ll be their God,
they’ll be my people.
They won’t go to school to learn about me,
or buy a book called God in Five Easy Lessons.
They’ll all get to know me firsthand,
the little and the big, the small and the great.
They’ll get to know me by being kindly forgiven,
with the slate of their sins forever wiped clean.
By coming up with a new plan, a new covenant between God and his people, God put the old plan on the shelf. And there it stays, gathering dust.
The New Covenant of Grace
I can still remember the first time I really understood the gift of God’s grace.
I had been used to the idea of “earning” favor and approval from people, and that extended into ultimately seeking that everlasting approval from God.
It was a familiar pattern: Perform well, and you will be rewarded. Fail, and you are left with guilt and consequences.
But grace is not like that.
It depends not on our performance but on God’s promises—sealed through Jesus.
The writer of Hebrews contrasts the old covenant, which was based on laws and rituals, with the new covenant of grace established by the sacrifice of Jesus.
The old covenant required continuous sacrifices for sin, but Jesus, through his sacrifice of himself once for all, has made it possible for us to draw near to God, being loved and forgiven.
The new covenant means that we no longer need to fear God’s judgment.
We are invited into an intimate relationship with God, marked not by our obedience but by God’s perfect love.
No matter what our mistakes are, God’s grace is always greater.
This is the good news of salvation—the new covenant in our Savior Jesus.
As we reflect on all this, let’s envision the freedom that comes with His grace.
No longer bound by old rules, we can live, love and move in His hope and peace, knowing God has established a new way for us to be fully loved and forgiven.
Do you feel overwhelmed, distracted, or lost?
If so, how do you attempt to comfort yourself or ease your worries?
I encourage you to take some time today to listen to the timeless truths of this hymn.
I pray it ministers to your aching or anxious soul as we finally lift our sin laden, sin poisoned human eyes to ultimately cast your gaze upon Him and Him alone.
And may we all remove our blinders to behold Him in His light, love, and grace.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Praying ….
Psalm 19 New American Standard Bible
The Works and the Word of God.
For the music director. A Psalm of David.
19 The heavens tell of the glory of God;
And their expanse declares the work of His hands.
2 Day to day pours forth speech,
And night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.
4 Their [a]line has gone out into all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world.
In them He has placed a tent for the sun,
5 Which is like a groom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices like a strong person to run his course.
6 Its rising is from [b]one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the [c]other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.
7 The Law of the Lord is [d]perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.
10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much pure gold;
Sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, Your servant is warned by them;
In keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.
13 Also keep Your servant back from presumptuous sins;
Let them not rule over me;
Then I will be innocent,
And I will be blameless of great wrongdoing.
14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 