BBD 04.07.14 Treadmill Living (Classic)

#1 · April 7, 2014, 8:57 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on April 7, 2014, 8:57 pm
Posted by: theburningbushdevotional <theburningbushdevotional@...>

If for
some reason you do not receive your email version of the devotional please
check the Burning Bush website at www.theburningbush.net for the
“Devotional of the Day” and read the devotional there.

The Burning
Bush Devotional

14,000
Subscribers to the Email Devotional

(Classic
from 2004)

04.07.14

Treadmill Living

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.

How would you feel about running a marathon
on a treadmill? Think about it. The scenery would never change with only the
digital readout revealing how many more miles were ahead. Michael Wardian has
set a world record time running a 26.2 mile marathon on a treadmill. He beat
the previous world record by seven minutes. Wardian said about the two hours and almost 24 minutes of
running on a treadmill that, “It's
difficult just because you always know where you are so you can't trick
yourself. You just look down and you know where you are.” Christopher Farley,
owner of a new running store where the record was set said, “The monotony of a treadmill - the
idea that you have to stay balanced for almost two-and-a-half hours - is a lot
harder. It really becomes claustrophobic.”

Some of us know exactly what Wardian and
Farley are talking about. Why? Because we have been running on the
treadmill of life with the scenery never changing and the years passing by. The
weight of the world’s demands, and the continued participation in habitual sin
have us running in place never moving forward in the Christian life.

The writer of the book of Hebrews urges us to
lay aside “every weight.” In training for
athletic events, weights are sometimes worn to gain stamina and to warm up for
an event. The writer of Hebrews is saying that this is the real thing, this is
the race of your life, and it is time to put aside everything that would slow
you down. Lay aside the demand of the world to buy the clothes worn by friends,
or fellow employees. Lay aside the desire to own or lease a vehicle equivalent
to that of your friends. Put down the idea that you have to live in the best
neighborhood, send your kids to the best schools, and have the best vacations.
Lay aside the idea that your husband or your wife must resemble the actors,
actresses, and models, which appear in the media. You must grab hold of the
fact that you must live in the real world where everything and everyone will
not always be perfect.

The writer of Hebrews also encourages us to
lay aside the “sin which so easily ensnares us.”
These are besetting sins; habitual sins, which once they have gained a place in
our lives, are difficult to overcome. These ensnaring, besetting sins include
alcohol/drug addictions, and sexual sins. Here we see an important spiritual
fact and that is that it is possible to lay aside even these sins or we would
not be told to do so. How can we lay them aside? We must follow the
instructions, which follow verse 1. We must look
to Jesus who has the power to enable us to lay aside these things. The apostle
Paul in Philippians 4:13 said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
You too, through Christ Jesus, can do all things the Christian life requires
including the laying aside of the weight of worldly things and ensnaring sins.

Copyright © 2004 - 2014. Ed
Wrather. The Burning Bush website has been online since January 31, 1998. On
June 8, 1998 the email version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.
Ed Wrather began writing devotionals in the early 1990s. The distribution of
these first devotionals was primarily through the Burning Bush Newsletter sent
to prison facilities throughout the United States and Canada.

Visit the
Burning Bush websites:

www.theburningbush.net

www.theburningbush.org

The .org
Burning Bush website

is being updated.

The Burning Bush websites have
received visits from more than 170 countries. Celebrating 15 years online since
January 31, 1998. Since June 8, 1998 the Burning Bush Devotional has been
spreading the truth of God's Word to more than 14,000 subscribers across the
world.

You can leave comments/feedback
about the devotionals at www.theburningbush.net.

There is a translation tool on
theburningbush.net website in the top left hand corner of all of the pages.

Prayer Warriors Wanted! Please join the
Burning Bush Prayer Group. The group began in 1998. Send prayer requests and
receive prayer requests. To join send an
email to: bbpg-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Ed Wrather has retired from
pastoring full-time and has more time to pursue other ministry opportunities.
You can make contact at edwrather@yahoo.com or
theburningbushdevotional@gmail.com View LinkedIn profile with
endorsements at http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=92988105

Prayer Requests: Please pray for
the people of Ukraine and Venezuela. Many prayer needs are posted at the
Burning Bush website on the Prayer Request page. You can also post your prayer
requests there (Of course, I am always in need of prayer - please pray for
me.).

If you enjoy the devotional
please recommend it to your friends. They may subscribe by sending a blank
email to burningbushdevo-join@welovegod.org

There is a complete devotional
archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here is the URL: http://www.theburningbush.org/DevotionalArchive.html.

You can unsubscribe to the
burningbushdevo devotional group by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the confirmation email.

You may subscribe to the html text group (Because of time
constraints the devotional is only being sent now in html format) by sending a
blank email to burningbushhtml-join@welovegod.org and you may unsubscribe by
sending a blank email to burningbushhtml-leave@welovegod.org and then respond
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--

To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org

Posted by: theburningbushdevotional <theburningbushdevotional@...>

If for
some reason you do not receive your email version of the devotional please
check the Burning Bush website at http://www.theburningbush.net for the
“Devotional of the Day” and read the devotional there.

The Burning
Bush Devotional

14,000
Subscribers to the Email Devotional

(Classic
from 2004)

04.07.14

Treadmill Living

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.

How would you feel about running a marathon
on a treadmill? Think about it. The scenery would never change with only the
digital readout revealing how many more miles were ahead. Michael Wardian has
set a world record time running a 26.2 mile marathon on a treadmill. He beat
the previous world record by seven minutes. Wardian said about the two hours and almost 24 minutes of
running on a treadmill that, “It's
difficult just because you always know where you are so you can't trick
yourself. You just look down and you know where you are.” Christopher Farley,
owner of a new running store where the record was set said, “The monotony of a treadmill - the
idea that you have to stay balanced for almost two-and-a-half hours - is a lot
harder. It really becomes claustrophobic.”

Some of us know exactly what Wardian and
Farley are talking about. Why? Because we have been running on the
treadmill of life with the scenery never changing and the years passing by. The
weight of the world’s demands, and the continued participation in habitual sin
have us running in place never moving forward in the Christian life.

The writer of the book of Hebrews urges us to
lay aside “every weight.” In training for
athletic events, weights are sometimes worn to gain stamina and to warm up for
an event. The writer of Hebrews is saying that this is the real thing, this is
the race of your life, and it is time to put aside everything that would slow
you down. Lay aside the demand of the world to buy the clothes worn by friends,
or fellow employees. Lay aside the desire to own or lease a vehicle equivalent
to that of your friends. Put down the idea that you have to live in the best
neighborhood, send your kids to the best schools, and have the best vacations.
Lay aside the idea that your husband or your wife must resemble the actors,
actresses, and models, which appear in the media. You must grab hold of the
fact that you must live in the real world where everything and everyone will
not always be perfect.

The writer of Hebrews also encourages us to
lay aside the “sin which so easily ensnares us.”
These are besetting sins; habitual sins, which once they have gained a place in
our lives, are difficult to overcome. These ensnaring, besetting sins include
alcohol/drug addictions, and sexual sins. Here we see an important spiritual
fact and that is that it is possible to lay aside even these sins or we would
not be told to do so. How can we lay them aside? We must follow the
instructions, which follow verse 1. We must look
to Jesus who has the power to enable us to lay aside these things. The apostle
Paul in Philippians 4:13 said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
You too, through Christ Jesus, can do all things the Christian life requires
including the laying aside of the weight of worldly things and ensnaring sins.

Copyright © 2004 - 2014. Ed
Wrather. The Burning Bush website has been online since January 31, 1998. On
June 8, 1998 the email version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.
Ed Wrather began writing devotionals in the early 1990s. The distribution of
these first devotionals was primarily through the Burning Bush Newsletter sent
to prison facilities throughout the United States and Canada.

Visit the
Burning Bush websites:

http://www.theburningbush.net

http://www.theburningbush.org

The .org
Burning Bush website

is being updated.

The Burning Bush websites have
received visits from more than 170 countries. Celebrating 15 years online since
January 31, 1998. Since June 8, 1998 the Burning Bush Devotional has been
spreading the truth of God's Word to more than 14,000 subscribers across the
world.

You can leave comments/feedback
about the devotionals at http://www.theburningbush.net.

There is a translation tool on
theburningbush.net website in the top left hand corner of all of the pages.

Prayer Warriors Wanted! Please join the
Burning Bush Prayer Group. The group began in 1998. Send prayer requests and
receive prayer requests. To join send an
email to: bbpg-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Ed Wrather has retired from
pastoring full-time and has more time to pursue other ministry opportunities.
You can make contact at edwrather@yahoo.com or
theburningbushdevotional@gmail.com View LinkedIn profile with
endorsements at http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=92988105

Prayer Requests: Please pray for
the people of Ukraine and Venezuela. Many prayer needs are posted at the
Burning Bush website on the Prayer Request page. You can also post your prayer
requests there (Of course, I am always in need of prayer - please pray for
me.).

If you enjoy the devotional
please recommend it to your friends. They may subscribe by sending a blank
email to burningbushdevo-join@welovegod.org

There is a complete devotional
archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here is the URL: http://www.theburningbush.org/DevotionalArchive.html.

You can unsubscribe to the
burningbushdevo devotional group by sending a blank email to
burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the confirmation email.

You may subscribe to the html text group (Because of time
constraints the devotional is only being sent now in html format) by sending a
blank email to burningbushhtml-join@welovegod.org and you may unsubscribe by
sending a blank email to burningbushhtml-leave@welovegod.org and then respond
to the confirmation email. If the link does not work, copy and paste the link.

To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org