DEVOTION
Strength to Endure
by Greg Laurie on Mar 8, 2019
Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.
Hebrews 12:3
https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/ ... to-endure/
How easily Jesus could have said, “You know what? Forget this. No one here appreciates me. I’m not dying for these people. They don’t deserve it.”
After all, think about what He had to face. His own disciples effectively abandoned Him. Judas Iscariot, His friend, betrayed Him. Then He was beaten physically, with fists to His face. His beard was ripped out. A crown of thorns was pressed on His forehead. His back was ripped open with Roman whips. He was jeered and laughed at and spit on. And then He was nailed to a cross.
It was His love for us that kept Him going. We read in Hebrews that “because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame” (12:2 NLT). What was the joy awaiting Him? It was you. It was me. It was us. He did it for us. He knew there was no other way that we could be made right with the God that we had offended.
Verse 2 also tells us that Jesus is “the champion who initiates and perfects our faith” (NLT). God finishes what He starts. He will complete the work in us.
You might say, “Greg, I can’t go on another day.”
Yes, you can. Get your eyes off yourself. Look at Jesus. Think of what He did for you. Think about how He went to the cross for you. He’s the one who will give you the strength to endure.
When you take your eyes off the Lord and put them on people or on the church or on circumstances, you will start to stumble. Get your eyes off those things and look at Jesus. He will never fail you. He will never let you down. He will keep you running in the race of life.