Pray the Word with David Platt is a resource from radical.net.

Hebrews chapter 12, verses 1 and 2.

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,

looking to Jesus, the founder and perfector of our faith, who for the joy that was set before

him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne

of God.

What an incredible couple of verses.

It would take us hours to really dive into it,

but get the whole picture in this couple of minutes.

We are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses,

men and women of faith who've gone before us, who were beckoning us to run the race of faith, to throw aside sin that so easily entangles us, distractions

that so easily, subtly keep us from living with all-out focus on Jesus.

Let's look to him.

Let's see everything in our lives through the lens of who he is, the one who founded our

faith, is perfecting our faith, who's growing us in him, and with joy before him, let's run the race marked out for us.

In other words, let's live this life of faith that he has called us to with joy, knowing it's

not always easy, but that's the whole picture. Jesus endured the cross scorning its shame and

is seated the right hand of the throne of God. He endured all kinds of suffering,

knowing that reward was coming. And so we, in a world of sin and suffering and evil, there's all

kinds of challenges, there's all kinds of suffering that comes, but we know reward is coming.

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