Hebrews 12 is a-MA-zing..no doubt about it! The incredible beginning that encourages us to throw off what slows you down and run with perseverance the path that is set before us while keeping our eyes on the example of Jesus who CHOSE to endure His own suffering just so we have someone to follow…AWESOME!

Next, is the resolution that discipline and hard times have a purpose to produce a HARVEST of right living and peace…we need to be trained in the fire first though.

And then comes the finale of THEREFORE..

Strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees…

Now, I am not one for exercise. I know I should, my soft waist line tells me I should…but, frankly, I am not a fan of exertion (there, I said it!). 

I would not say I have FEEBLE arms..but I am also not about to try to do a pull-up any time soon or hold a bucket of water with my arms stretched to my side either!

To strengthen my arms I have no choice but to exercise them daily…it may require resistant weights, push ups, and perhaps even pull–ups. 

Weak knees are another matter…like I said-I am no fitness guru-but I don’t recall any knee strengthening exercises. I have known people who have had knee replacements and they do exercises to strengthen the muscles and ligaments around the knee but not the actual knee..

To me, weak knees means fear…being afraid. If my knees are weak and wobbling it is because something has me “unstabled” emotionally more than physically.  I have become weak in the knees.

How do I strengthen that?

By  learning what it is I am afraid of and how to overcome it.

Therefore,learn about, use, and then exercise my areas of weakness and overcome my fears…

All this is to make level the path where I walk…

Now, my life journey seems to have a multitude of ups and downs…highs and lows…mountains and valleys…rivers and deserts…know what I am saying??

Is that because of my RESPONSE to the journey? Is it because my arms are feeble and my knees are weak meaning my weakness and fears are guiding my reactions?

The purpose to casting off what slows us down is so those who are watching and following will not become disabled themselves while on their own path. That, instead, they could be healed from their own weakness and fear.

We need to seriously acknowledge that people are watching and following our example all the time whether we like it or not…it is a fact of life.

Jesus gave me an example to follow with His perfect life and then said FOLLOW ME. Next, He told me to go make disciples…

THEREFORE I am to follow Him so others will follow me following Him.

     (Did you follow that??? Read it again if needed!)

THEREFORE, I AM TO FOLLOW HIM SO OTHERS WILL FOLLOW ME FOLLOWING HIM…

Doing so with strong  arms- overcoming my weaknesses– and with stable, secure knees-victorious over my fears –so others can be healed too.

What I have learned is that my life and experiences are not all about me and for only me…it just is not how we were created.  We are places into a community of living with others. I believe that every experience can have a purpose if you choose to let it and use it within that community or works around us. ..every good or bad or horrific circumstance can be used for good by God if you let Him into it…

It becomes our choice of what to do with our situations…our feeble arms…our weak knees..our life lived among others.

Therefore…I say – let us RUN.