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.

This cloud of witnesses the writer refers to are all the great men and women of faith that is found in the previous chapter, (Hebrews chapter eleven is referred to at times as the ‘Faith Hall of Fame.’ It makes you kind of wonder if these witnesses can actually see everything being played out here on earth from heaven’s perspective. It is so crucial to be a person whose sense of assignment is clear. The race in life that is referred to here is the journey we are all on that has to do with fulfilling God’s plan and assignment for everyone of us.

If we don’t have a clarity of purpose and an urgency to fulfill it, then it will be so easy for things in this life to hinder us and sidetrack us from our mission. We need to throw off all those tempting options from this world and this life that distract us from obeying Jesus and doing His perfect will. There are so many people out there who are simply running the wrong race and wasting their time on things that aren’t important and that don’t count for eternity.

To resist sin and embrace the walk of obedience is a daily challenge, but I need to have a fixed and clear purpose just like Jesus did. The joy of the cross had to do with redeeming humankind and there is a cross I need to take up daily to do His will and follow Him closely. I set my heart in a new and fresh way today to wait on Him, hear His voice and follow Him closely. He has an adventure of purpose, discovery and fulfillment as I embrace the life of meaning in serving Him and the people He’s place in my life.

Father God, thank You for giving me a clear sense of purpose and assignment for this day and every day. I set my heart to follow You wholeheartedly. Lord Jesus, come fill me with your Spirit today that I may be a blessing to all I come in contact with. Give me discernment when I begin to get distracted and give me the strength to say no to the things I need to say no to, so that I can keep saying yes to what’s really important.