All Saints
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2
In Hebrews chapter eleven, the Holy Spirit reviews some of the "Heroes of the Christian Faith" from the beginning of mankind’s history. Abel, Noah, Abraham, and Moses are all mentioned there, as well as Sarah and Rahab. The holy writer recounts the struggles they faced as well as how the Lord revealed His power in their weaknesses.
Then, in the verses above, the holy writer reveals why the lives of those who have gone before us are important for us. These believers of the past serve as a great "cloud of witnesses" for us. Their faith and example in trials motivate us as we face the difficulties of this life with the assurance of God’s love and power in our lives. Their lives remind
us that we are going to face many challenges and difficulties as children of God, but they also assure us that God’s love and power supersede any power that will confront us.
The lives, the struggles, the victories, yes, even the deaths of believers of previous generations encourage us to look to Jesus as we run the "race that is set before us." By God’s grace, they have finished their race and received the crown of righteousness which Jesus won for them by His life and death on Calvary. As we run our race, we can and do benefit from seeing the strength and faith which God supplied them, knowing that He will sustain us as He did them.
Lord, strengthen us through the example of believers who have gone before us. Amen.
Oh, may Your soldiers, faithful, true, and bold,
Fight as the saints who nobly fought of old
And win with them the victor’s crown of gold.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
The Lutheran Hymnal 463:3