Day 8 - Weight

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.

My wife recently got these small weights you can strap to your ankles or wrists for exercising. Our son Braydn was looking at them and asked me if I would like to try them out, to which I replied that weight was what I was trying to get rid of. It seems that over the years there can be a steady accumulation that increasingly inhibits movement and the desire even to do anything about it. Apart from an intentional determination to diet, exercise, and rest the addition of weight will greatly affect the decision to move at all. 

As weight is to the body, so the spirit can become weighted down and kept from its much-needed movements of faith. Where there is a falling off of feasting on the Word, doing it, and resting on the promises, the spirit can accumulate worldly residue.  How wonderful it is, though, that we have direct access to the throne of grace, no matter how weighted down we find ourselves. There we can be stripped of all those weights in the washing of the Word by the Spirit and freed to successfully run with endurance the race before us. For all the stripping away of weights, though, its purpose isn't just to be lighter, but to take our place in a race for a prize of eternal significance. Sharing God's love and mercy is much more effective when stripped of those things that used to inhibit with their encumbering weight. So good to be off and running. 

Meditation

Fasting:

"With a passionate desire to be set apart from those who are mindless to the desires and preferences of my God, I set my heart to faithfully guide in all necessary changes for confident relationship.”  
Psalms 4:3, 2 Corinthians 6:17

Praise:

"My praise will be for the acts of my God’s might and the excellence of His overpowering greatness."
Isaiah 60:21 

Identity:

"No matter the challenge or opposition before me, I am more than an overcomer through Christ who is the Greater One within me."
Romans 8:37

Understanding:

"Christ in me is God-given wisdom, virtue, holiness, and redemption."
1 Corinthians 1:30 

Wholeness:

"I have confidence that I am heard when I pray the will of God for my healing, and when I do my requests are already provided for and answered."
1 John 5:14-15

Provision:

"Though He was rich, by the grace of God, Jesus became poor so that I, through His poverty, am made rich."
2 Corinthians 8:9