Awaiting

Wow. Busy weekend, and because of my busy weekend I have neglected diving into a scripture (yes, I am taking baby steps with a scripture or two) and letting it embed itself into my life. All day today I kept thinking about my blog, and if I am already backsliding into my same ole' pattern when it comes to Bible study, "Start strong, give up quickly." Many things ran through my mind today dealing with scripture. Since it is Mother's Day, Proverbs 31 kept coming to mind, and also verses about free will were also on my mind. These things may work into a post later, but I really feel as if God put this scripture upon my heart this evening.

Hebrews 12:2
"Keeping our eyes on Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."

This was the verse of the day on my Bible app. I read it this morning and first thought, "Oh, I have read that before." Then I took another look and broke the verse apart. I understood each part of its meaning except the part "for the joy that was set before him". I kept thinking about Jesus' journey to the cross and "enduring the cross" for us and thought to myself, "How was what before him joyful?" It was not until I read the previous scripture, which I also have read before, but never deeply.

Hebrews 12:1
"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us."

That I was hung up on the part "the joy that was set before him", speak volumes about me. "Before him", made me think, before him right now, and what was before him was the cross. My simple easily confused mind liked the NLT version,
"Because of the joy awaiting him." I was not thinking that the scripture was referring to what was in store for Jesus in the future, a heavenly home, but I was stuck in the present.

How many times do I get stuck with the current circumstances that surround me, and never focus of the outcome or the future? I simply look at what is before me now, not what is awaiting. How I act and the choices I make while "enduring my cross" will determine my future, and that future is bright, a heavenly home with my Lord and Savior.