Weekday Devotionals - Samantha

“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. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
-Hebrews 12:1-3 (NIV)

I sat down to write this devotional with a thousand thoughts on this past Sundays sermon, stared at my laptop screen and thought, where do I start?

So, I’m going to start with a title and let Holy Spirit do the rest, “Running the Race with Kingdom Vision.”

Holy Spirit, help me focus my thoughts so the rest flows out and make perfect sense to the one reading this…...  

We’re all in a race, and, spoiler alert, it’s not a 100-meter sprint. It’s a marathon—one of eternal significance. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I feel like I’m more focused on avoiding the “worldly hurdles” of daily life than on running my race for the Kingdom. The temptations Jesus faced in the wilderness were opportunities to “take shortcuts” to the throne—temptations to grab what was rightfully His but at the wrong cost. But He chose the harder road. He fixed His eyes on the Father’s plan. His vision wasn’t empire-minded (worldly)—it was Kingdom-minded (how God wants us to see it).

What does this mean for us, practically? It means that every time we encounter a temptation to compromise our values, to take the easy way out, or to chase after things that only bring temporary satisfaction, we have a choice. We can choose to take the shortcut, to settle for the world’s version of success, or we can fix our eyes on Jesus—the One who endured unimaginable trials and temptations without ever losing sight of His true purpose. Jesus didn’t give in to the quick fixes that the enemy offered Him in the wilderness. He chose the path of obedience, of surrender, even when it was hard, because He had a clear vision of God’s Kingdom. When we feel the pull of the world, the allure of comfort, or the temptation to shortcut our calling, we must remind ourselves of that same eternal perspective that Jesus held. And yes, there will be times when we get distracted, when we trip, or when we find ourselves veering off course. But the good news is that it’s never too late to look up again, to refocus on Jesus, and to realign our hearts with His will. We can always choose to get back on track and keep running the race with renewed determination.

So, here’s the question I urge you ask yourself: Are you living with Kingdom vision or are you just trying to win the world’s race?

-Sam Mosca