Some days I feel what seems to be a fading of the light. Like all that’s good, and right, and pure and noble and lovely is being engulfed by the black and empty and cruel. And I look at the flicker of my firelight and despair because, sometimes—like today, I just don’t know how much more kindling is left…
But tonight, I remembered the passage from Hebrews 12:1, where I’m told that, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us”. Recently, a pastor that I was listening to clarified who that “great cloud of witnesses” are and what they are doing. They are my brothers and sisters in the Lord, saints of old, that are *cheering me on* as I run this race of faith! There they stand, beyond these Shadowlands, on the other side of eternity. They do not condemn me, but are rooting for me: that I may run the race hard, that I may run the race well, that I may FIX my gaze on Jesus. They’ve been where I have been: discouraged and disheartened and living in a culture of despair.
Yet, when I look at their stories, I see how they persevered on the journey, and how bright God’s faithfulness shone. Romans 15: 4 tells me that, “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through encouragement of the of the Scriptures we might have hope.” And here is the kindling for my fire. The fire of HOPE comes from endurance. “Don’t give up! Don’t quit! We finished the race and you will too,” the cloud of witnesses urge. “Don’t look down, don’t look around, just look up at Him! ‘Consider Him who endured such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted!’”
This is why the stories of Noah, and Joseph, Elijah, David, Daniel, Esther, Ruth, and Paul were written. That I might have HOPE. So on days like today, on nights like tonight, I’m reminded to stoke into flame that HOPE fire with fresh kindling of stories of those who know all about the dark.
