Scripture Archives - Carmen Horne

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,” Hebrews 12:1 ESV

This verse is preceded with what is often called “faith’s hall of fame” in chapter 11. The roll call of those mighty men and women of God who are now cheering us on as we run our race. If all of these heroes are in my cloud of witnesses, why couldn’t my loved ones that have gone before me be there as well?

“Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins.” MSG

Did you get that? Literally, my Mom and Dad, my grandparents, my father-in-law, other relatives, and dear friends could be cheering me on. Why not?

It reminds me of sitting at a ballgame. My team is tired and discouraged. Maybe they have made some mistakes that have cost them ground. The competition is intense. Bruised and sore they might feel as if they have disappointed their people.

What do I do? What do all those in the crowd do? We cheer. We cheer loud. If that player on the sidelines turns around and throws his hand up, we cheer louder. Our team needs to know that we are behind them. We love them. We infuse them with a bit of courage. Not only with courage but with the confidence that we are on their side. They have people and their people are there.

Every good play, we say “Do it again!” Every mistake we say, ” Shake it off. You will get it right next time!” Y’all, can we imagine our cloud, our crowd, our cheerleaders are doing the same for us? The revelation of this from the Holy Spirit to my spirit makes my heart smile. It makes me want to run hard and try my best.

It also makes me want to cry ’cause I miss my Mom, makes me smile ’cause that girl (Mom) who was my biggest cheerleader is still at it, and it makes me excited because my father-in-law, a writer himself, is cheering me on as I write.

Who would be in your cheering section? How does it make you feel to think that there is a delightful possibility that those you love and miss are still your biggest fans?

There are so many aspects of our spiritual lives where no details are given. I’m more curious these days. Looking a little deeper at life and the Bible also means that I’m trying harder to listen and hear God speaking to my heart. I know He speaks. I’m pretty sure the disconnect is on our end. Jesus said in Matthew 11:15 to listen up. I like the sound of it in the CEV, “If you have ears, pay attention!”

Lord, we trust You to speak to our hearts and reveal mysteries, in due time, that are hidden. We thank You for the assurance that our cloud of witnesses is cheering us on to run our race; the race you have set before us. Our personal path is full of possibility. We love you, too! In our dear Savior’s name, Jesus, Amen.

Linking up with Debbie Kitterman, Dare 2 Hear, today!

I began this post on fear about two years ago. What in the whirl? How can something I wrote two years ago resonate with me still!?

I am able to just pick up and continue writing because it’s that relevant. So relevant…like the first thing I thought of was me sitting poolside at my sister-in-law’s house a few days ago and decidedly moving myself inside because there were bats (yep, you read that correctly) swooping and flying around the pool. I’m skeered of birds. I watched the Alfred Hitchcock movie, The Birds, when I was a little girl (The babysitter was OK with it. Why not?) and I want them to stay at a beautiful distance from me. You want to get me itchy, feed the birds while I’m sitting in my beach chair trying to relax.

I KNOW they are just as scared of me as I am of them. I KNOW I’m bigger than they are. I KNOW I don’t have love birds trapped in a cage in my house. But still…

Maybe you need these words today, too. Maybe that’s why I had it in drafts and never published it. It was waiting for me to finish writing it today ’cause you know, timing is everything.

Have you ever just sat dumbstruck and flabbergasted over life? The hits just keep coming. You begin to wonder if there is a big red target on your heart and soul.

There is. Satan has us marked for destruction. If God would have allowed it, he would have ended our lives before we sucked in our first breath of air. Satan is a liar and thief.

Now that thought often gives me a shiver. I can get real worried about what’s next. Just being real here, the prince of darkness can dim my light sometimes by a mere whisper.

Those of us in ministry often feel our target is bigger. But wait, aren’t we all called to be a functioning part of the body of Christ? So there goes that ~~excuse~~ theory.

I’m hoping there are a few of you out there that are shaking your heads with an amen, even if it’s a nervous one.

There are tons (well, a lot) of Bible verses out there addressing being fear-full. Probably one of the most important ones is the reminder that’s it’s definitely not of God. Y’all, read 2 Timothy 1:7 in the Amplified Bible,

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear, but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of sound judgment and personal discipline [abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control].

One of the ways I’m learning to cope with fear (besides not allowing bats to play in my hair) is Scripture affirmations. I love this Bible verse and the personalized statement from scripture I wrote,

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you. All whose thoughts are fixed on you. Isaiah 26:3 (NLT)

Oh, and maybe another moral to this story is to not put things into your mind that you will probably never get out. I have several things like that and I’m praying God will pull that stuff up by the roots!

Who is in Your Cloud of Witnesses?

A Way to Fear-less When We are Fear-full