Daily Devotional: Friday, August 9 – The Great Exchange

“Subsequently, since we’re surrounded by such an awesome cloud of witnesses, allow us to throw off all the things that hinders and the sin that so simply entangles. And allow us to run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of religion.” — Hebrews 12:1-2a

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I really like the Olympics, from the grandeur of the Olympic torch to the fun of essentially the most obscure occasions. The flags, the pomp and circumstance, the medals, and naturally, the competitors.

A few of my favourite occasions on the Summer season Olympics are in observe and discipline. The perfect athletes on the earth compete face to face in numerous disciplines, and I really like all the things about it, from pole vault and shot put to sprints and hurdles. However my absolute favorites are the relays.

In observe, relays are a staff competitors the place groups of 4 race to see who can go a baton across the observe the quickest. There are “alternate zones” on the observe the place the baton have to be handed to the subsequent teammate. These handoffs within the alternate zones require extra observe than every other talent within the relay. Working your quickest is essential, however and not using a good alternate, your staff is robotically disqualified.

As Christians, we’re a part of the best alternate in historical past. Once we put our belief in Jesus, we handed on the baton of our sin and brokenness, and Jesus gave us everlasting life in return. He bore our sins on the cross in order that we may run our race unhindered, and win.

What an alternate that’s! We exchanged hopelessness for hope. We exchanged darkness for mild. We exchanged lies for reality. We exchanged loss of life for all times.

We’re not working this race alone; we have now an awesome cloud of witnesses cheering us on. With our eyes mounted on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our religion, we will run with perseverance, realizing that by Him, we have now exchanged our burdens for His guarantees and our struggles for His energy. What an awesome alternate certainly!

— Melissa Motes

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