Daily Encounter: A Week-day Devotional by a staff of ACTS International.

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…."¹

I was amused at the story our now "middle-aged" pastor recently told about himself when trying to learn surfing a few short years ago. He had a difficult time "getting it" and, according to his own confession, still hasn't mastered the art of successful surfing.

I could identify with him in my trying to learn snow skiing later in life. I never fully mastered the art either … my biggest problem was trying to turn. On one occasion I skied right into the back of one of my skiing buddies because I couldn't turn quick enough to get out of the way. On another occasion somehow I collided with a lady skier and we got locked together with her facing forwards and me facing backwards as we continued skiing down the slope totally out of control until we crashed. Sprawled out on the snow I couldn't resist making the comment, "We've got to stop meeting this way!" Fortunately neither one of us was hurt.

The big lesson I needed to learn, like the lesson my pastor was taught, "You always go where you are looking so keep looking toward where you want to goâ€"not to where you don't want to go!"

That's a great lesson regarding most aspects of life too. If we fix our eyes only on the pleasures and benefits this world has to offer, that's the direction our life will take and, while we might gain great material wealth, we will end up becoming spiritually bankruptâ€"morally bankrupt too if all we look for is the sinful pleasures this life has to offer in abundance.

On the other hand, if we commit our life to and fix our eyes on spiritual and eternal values, that's the direction our life will takeâ€"and the rewards will be eternal, for we always reap what we sow, even if it is eventually!

As today's Scripture lesson teaches: "Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith."

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to live with eternal values in view, looking always unto Jesus for help and direction in every aspect of my life. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. Hebrews 12:1-2 (NKJV).

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