One Year Bible: New Testament Passage (for Wed., Oct. 31, 2012)
Hebrews 2:1-18
For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. Heb. 2:10 (NKJV)
God is leading you to glory. His great plan has a destination. He is bringing you and me into His glory. The original purpose for which God created man in general and you in particular WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED. He created us to share for ever in His rulership, in His joy, in His pleasure. AND HE WILL NOT RELENT. He will not give up or be discouraged until that is fulfilled.
But the path to glory is not easy. The destination is fantastic, but the path there is filled with challenges. It is exactly at this point that many believers falter. The path TO GLORY is also the path OF SUFFERING. God created you to be an OVERCOMER. He created you to do conquests in His name. He birthed you to advance His Kingdom and in so doing defeat darkness and death.
Jesus is our CAPTAIN. He is our leader. Yes, He suffered once for our justification and that suffering will never be repeated. But, He lived an overcoming life, resisting, prevailing, enduring, and triumphing — to set us an EXAMPLE. Philippians 1:29 says it another way: “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him.” (NIV)
Following Jesus is NOT an easy path. Yes, it is filled with joy and peace. It is the best life possible. But, it is also the greatest challenge anyone can ever take on. It is a path of enduring constant pressure from the enemy. It is a life of shining the brightest light right in the midst of the darkest darkness.
Suffering can sound to many like a “victim mentality.” Suffering is not the condition of a particularly unlucky person. Suffering is the setting for greatest advance. We shine our brightest when the world is at its darkest. So, let your light shine today — no matter what your challenge.