Friday, November 3rd
Devotional written by Pastor Brian Williams, Young Adults Pastor
THE GREAT FAMILY OF GOD
To read today: Matthew 6:9-13, Hebrews 11:1-40; 12:1-3
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
Hebrews 12:1
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Notice the pronouns used throughout the key verse – none are singular (I, me, my); they are all plural (we, us, our). To live and love like Jesus, we must embrace the reality that such a life is cultivated in community, expressed through the body of believers, and multiplied through relationships. The prayer is social; man enters the presence of the Father and then participates as one of a great family.
This is not to say that there is no place for solitude; on the contrary, there is a great need for it, especially in this noisy, hurried world. Instead, we are continually carried into His presence by the great family of God and carry them with us to His presence. We don’t pray just for ourselves; we know we are not alone in this journey. Any time we pray, we pray in unison with millions of others across the globe and in rhythm with generation upon generation of Christ-followers who have gone before us.
To live and love like Jesus is not a lone wolf, me against the world endeavor. Even the prisoners of Christ who were isolated from their brethren physically can venture through their circumstances with the Holy Spirit, have the assurance that they are among a great family who will span eternity, and endeavor to bring God’s Kingdom, honor God’s name, and see His will be done here on earth.
A great cloud of witnesses is cheering us on to be who we are in Christ Jesus. One day, we will depart this mission field and enter the sanctuary of the Most High God to see the great family we are a part of. Until that day, we get the great privilege of witnessing this in our church. Each week, as we gather to worship at church, in our homes, and in our communities, our Calvary family marches together, seeking to live and love like our Savior, Jesus Christ. To Him be all the glory, honor, and praise forever and ever. Amen.
Reflection: A great song, “Come On” by Brook Poindexter, riffs off that great cloud of witnesses discussed in Hebrews 11. Take some time to listen to it. All of heaven is on the edge of their seats, cheering us on to be the radiant expression of Christ that we already are before the Father in the throne room of God.
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