(Originally written on June 14, 2016)

Note: This verse highlights a foolproof system. All I have to do is love God’s principles and nothing in the universe has the capacity to cause me to stumble. I can only stumble if my love for the law is unstable. This harmonizes with Paul’s statement that “love never fails.” Love, therefore, has a stabilizing factor about it.

• Love (man’s part)
• Peace (God’s part)
• Eternal Stability (when God’s part and man’s part meet)

Note: This passage is about letting go of things that interfere with your race. This verse comes on the heels of Hebrews Chapter 11. Chapter 11 talks about the things that were obtained, but beneath the surface, it talks about the things that were let go of in order to run the “heroes” of the faith race. For example, Enoch, let go of his ties to planet Earth. Abraham and Sarah laid aside their family. Others laid aside peace with ungodly people. Moses for example, forsook royalty for the sake of being a deliverer for his people. They all had to let go of something in order to grab what the Father had for them. So the real question that immediately follows “What do I want?” is “Am I willing to walk away from something in order to walk into what the Father has provided for me?” What am I willing to relinquish so that I can run?”

I went back and re-read Hebrews chapter 11 with fresh eyes and here’s what I saw. In verse 24, it says about Moses, “When he had grown up, refused…” Immediately this showed me that refusal is a mark of maturity and faith. If he had not grown up, he may possibly have accepted what he refused.

As I’m typing, another example came to mind. Joseph refused Potiphar’s wife. Why? Because he was grown up. Joseph made a grown man’s decision and refused to have sex with another man’s wife.

A grown man is known by what he refuses to have in his life as much as by what he chooses to have in his life. In fact, although Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose rather to suffer with his people. This was definitely a grown man’s decision.

Other Examples in Scripture:

1. The Hebrew boys refused the king’s food.
2. The Hebrew boys refused to bow to an idol god.

Another observation I made with Hebrews 12:1 is that we are advised to throw things off solely on the bases of them hindering us. It doesn’t matter if it’s fun, enjoyable and we like it. The only real question is, “Is it hindering me from running my race?” If so, it must be discarded. I can clearly see where our error has been. We have allowed things to remain in our lives that in some way hinder us from progressing. We have focused so much in our day on getting things, but we have talked very little about what must be refused.

Note: As I was typing, I pondered what these verses listed above have to do with each other. Then I saw it. They are both about the ability to function without stumbling or being hindered. Psalms 119:165 highlights God’s principle of stability and Hebrews 12:1 lets us know we have to lay aside things that hinder our progress so that we can run the race that has been marked out for us.