Tim’s Daily Bread Devotional 10.20.21

By October 20, 2021Daily Bread

Good morning!

I hope this day finds you and your family well. I invite you to take a few moments with me to read and reflect upon today’s scripture selection — and to carry these thoughts with you into your day.

Today’s Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-3

Many years ago, Susan and I and our daughters were camping in southern Georgi, in a region where there was a mountain bike race going on.

It had been raining there for several days, so the trails had turned to mud. One evening, we stood near the stream that ran through the campground and watched the cyclists dragging their bikes in — covered from head to toe with mud.

The bikes were so caked with this sticky, clay-mud mixture that the chains and the spokes and the pedals wouldn’t even turn. The cyclists were literally dragging or carrying their bikes as they went into the stream — bikes and all — to wash off the mud.

I asked one of them how in the world they were able to ride those trails. He replied that the mud clinging and building up on his bike had actually made it impossible to ride. He ended up carrying and dragging the bike to finish the race.

The writer of Hebrews said, “Let us also lay aside every weight and sin that clings so closely and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.” 

Past sins — and guilt that has morphed into shame — cling like that sticky mud and can so weigh us down so that the race becomes trudging, heavy-laden drudgery. Grudges we have collected over the years become like so much mud, gumming up the spokes and pedals, so that real forward movement becomes nearly impossible.

What weights and sins cling so closely to you?  What weighs you down?  What do you need to lay aside so that you can run with perseverance the race that is set before you?

The healing and cleansing streams of God’s grace are always waiting for us to wash off “every weight and sin that clings so closely,” like so much sticky mud, so that we can “run with perseverance the race that is set before us.”

Thank you for sharing this moment of your day with me, with God, and with these words of scripture and reflection.

Grace and Peace,


Dr. Tim Bruster
Senior Pastor