![[Photo of a Scripture verse]](https://www.deankwilson.com/Blog_images/Hebrews_12_1.jpg)
| “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 |
If you’ve ever participated in a sports activity, or performed with a band or orchestra, or had a part in a drama, you know what it means to “play to the crowd.” There is something electrifying to perform when onlookers fill the space around you.
In my junior high and high school years, I worked on the backstage crew for Arena Playhouse Productions, the local “little theater” group in my hometown. There was a vast difference in the energy and intensity the actors and crew felt between the nights of rehearsals and the first performance in front of an audience. Everyone stepped up into a higher level of concentration. Some of the rough places in rehearsals suddenly smoothed out and became nearly pristine. The fact that people had come to see the performance made all the difference in the world.
In our walk with the Savior, we perform acts of obedience and love in front of the legions of believers who have gone before us. That’s exactly what the writer conveys in Hebrews 12:1:
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.
As we begin another day, let’s remember that those who love Jesus and have graduated to heaven are watching us. They are cheering us on to victory. They have experienced their own struggles of the faith. They want us to succeed. They love us and desire God’s best for us. That’s why their enthusiasm becomes a turning point for us.
We are not alone in our striving for the Kingdom. This “cloud of witnesses” longs to see us succeed in our battle for the faith. They pour out their love and devotion in our direction. And that, dear ones, should give us courage and strength, as we persevere in our walk with Jesus.
