Hebrews 12

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses ... let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (1). The “witnesses” in chapter 11 are not perfect people: Abraham and Sarah, Gideon and Barak and others had moments of faith but also weakness, doubt, and mistakes. Yet they clung to God. Hebrews urges us to run our own “race” with the same faith (even the hard parts, 11), because we are part of “the city of the living God” through Christ (22).

“Since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful ...” (28). Even when we feel unsteady, we can run our race with full confidence in Jesus’ unshakeable kingdom.