Hebrews 12:1 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 is one of my favorite chapters in the whole Bible, so in drawing up the reading list I divided it up to be able to write more about it. I often reference verse 2, about looking to Jesus, but I have lost count of how many times I’ve heard this verse mis-applied. The problem is that in English, we tend to think of witnesses as people watching something, when here it means those who are testifying of something, as in a court of law. I’ve heard numerous people talking about our being in a stadium, with this great number of people watching us run. That’s a complete misunderstanding, as I see it. What this is talking about is the great number of people who testify that God is faithful, just, merciful, and gracious, so we can be assured that we have nothing to fear. The Japanese thankfully uses a term that makes that clear. Lots of people seem to be comforted by the idea that their ancestors are “watching over them from heaven.” I doubt that very highly! To me, that sounds like the ancestor worship that is practiced in Japanese Buddhism and some other religions. There is no distress in heaven, and watching what is going on here on earth would doubtless be pretty distressing! Rather, this is talking about people who have experienced God’s salvation in countless ways, and have left the story behind to encourage us. It is an excellent thing to read biographies of saints, not to mention the Bible itself, to be reminded of how God can and does meet needs even greater than what we experience.

I thankfully have many relatives and family members whose lives were testimonies of God’s faithfulness, and I am encouraged. They were imperfect, just as I am, but when they trusted and obeyed God, He acted. With that background, I am working on my own autobiography, not to puff myself up, but to testify to the grace of God. Yesterday I wrote another page and a half, for the first time in several months. I don’t know why it’s such slow going, or why I’m so easily distracted. I trust it will be much easier to read than it is proving to be to write! I don’t know who will be interested to read it, but I too want to be part of that “great cloud of witnesses,” because God is certainly worthy of every scrap of praise, adoration, obedience, and gratitude that He can be given.

Father, thank You for this reminder. May I indeed be an effective witness, testifying at every opportunity of Your goodness, Your faithfulness, so that as many as will may repent and believe for their own salvation, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!