15 May to 20 May

Sud-Ouest – de Perpignan à Pau

Run with perseverance

“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, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” (Hebrews 12:1-3) 

Chapter 11 speaks to us about the heroes of faith, those for whom everything succeeded, and those who suffered greatly.

The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews wanted to lead us to this phrase: “…therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses…” who were persevering and who suffered, let us equip ourselves with the same mindset! God wants us to be heroes of faith, conquerors of the race!

God invites us to perseverance; our life is a long endurance race, with the ultimate goal of becoming more and more like Jesus and progressing on the path He has planned for us, until the moment we are welcomed into His Kingdom.

As stated in verse 1, to run fast and long, it is better to be light; that is why we must throw off every burden and sin that slows us down in our race. Let us be careful not to let ourselves be enveloped by sin, lest we be suffocated.

We must train ourselves to seek God daily; He is our strength!

We are called to run this trial, this race; all Christians are engaged in it, there are no spectators and players.

Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, who is the pioneer of faith as stated in verse 2; He is our landmark, our light in the darkness.

In a sprint, we cannot look left or right; it would slow us down, and we could lose the race. To win, we must keep our eyes fixed on that landmark, straight ahead: Jesus!

When we became Christians, we were children in the faith, and to continue to grow, we needed to train ourselves, always keeping our eyes on Jesus.

Jesus left us this fire, this flame which is the Holy Spirit, to guide and encourage us!

So let us run without fear and with perseverance the race that Jesus has planned for each of us, keeping our eyes fixed on Him!

Specific prayer: Lord, we pray for the people of this beautiful region in the southwest, may Your Spirit blow upon its inhabitants, may every Christian who lives there be light and salt for their family, their neighbor, and their friends. Lord, give us the patience and perseverance to run on the path You have traced for each of us, always keeping our eyes fixed on You, our landmark and our light, and unburdening ourselves from the burdens that hinder us in our service for Your Kingdom. We pray in Your name, Lord, amen.

Personal presentation: Business Owner, Communications Manager for Ensemble 2024 and Go+ France, and serving her local church as a pastoral assistant. she is married, has 3 grown children, and she lives near Pontivy in Brittany.