Editor: New contributor Dale Darling reflects on what Hebrews 12:1 has meant in his life. “Seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses,” the verse says, “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.” Dale is a composer, writer, and fly fisherman who lives with his wife and daughters in the high country near Drake, Colorado.

Run by Faith
By Dale A. Darling
Giving up does not appear to be an option.
Perhaps the race has been missed, we might ask.
No. we’re in the race, no matter our pace.
It’s not all physical, either.

Those finished with the race know the glory of the finish line. They surround us where
we are, cheering us on —
To the finish line.
Where we will know as we are known. Where real light will illuminate all things.
For this time…
A timeless time in which one day will contain a thousand years worth of joy – and there
is no time – no place – for…..fear….pain…sadness.
All the tears are dried up, gone and forgotten.

Here, in the Light, is Life!
Air that is unblemished and water clean.
The bread is fresh, warm. Full of life.
Joyful expectancy is; in constant fullness.
Here, there is no more hope, for all things are, and I AM is.
And all things have their being, complete. Now is always.
There is no past, only the gift: the present.
In His presence.
Dwelling.
Continuous Now.
Glory revealed; full.

Full.
All things.
Known and knowing.
Timeless in the present Presence.
He is all in all.
In the meantime…
Well.
How shall we then live?
Content.
In knowing that we are known.
Keeping our eyes on the Author and Completer of Faith allows contentment.
As He prods us to seek Him – the only way it is possible – and by grace gives us ears to
hear and faith to listen – and to respond….
Well.
We’ll know contentment because we know Him.
Rather than haranguing one another on this point – or building guilt on a foundation of
dashed rubble – let us press on, and run, walk, crawl or be carried in the race.

Listen.
Hear that?
It’s cheering, and it’s not coming from the stands – no one is sitting around in this place.
It is coming from the surrounding invisible, yet vocal, crowd.
They already finished the race. They know victory.
Some might have realized they won by a hair; others know they were in a blowout.
By the way, it is a blowout victory for each participant, complete, uncontested, whether
run, walked, crawled or carried, probably because we’re all carried at all times.

So listen.
He Who made all things knows.
He Who sustains all things keeps holding all things together.
He is also the One for Whom all things have been made and through Whom all things
have their being.
In Him, then, we have our being. He created and sustains us, such as we are.
Why worry?
Study.
Seek Him.

Let’s not confuse bad gas with direction..
Rather…
Let’s allow that Truth and time go hand in hand.
Jesus is always. The same
Study
Seek
Listen
Be still and know Him. When he says “run” – or walk, crawl or be carried, as the case
may be – move it!

Truth and time.

Where do we get the idea we can help the cause of God? Most of this comes from
synthetic lists, usually man-made gobbledygook. (Read the paper for details.) The lists are made
to make up for smallness, to cover fear — to live in darkness — which is probably a mirage, not
reality.

Life.
Light.
Truth.
Liberty.
Spirit.
Faith.
There are worth pondering while we race, eh?

And where do we get the idea we can hurt the cause of God? Aren’t we a pretentious,
pitiful lot to have that sort of thinking. Sad day.
All this shame and blame stuff, as though we made our eyes this color. As though we
made ourselves able to see out of these eyes, regardless of their color. As though we made what
we see out of these colorful eyes.
For crying in a ditch.

Truth and time.
Study
Seek
Listen
Hear?
Obey.

In the race, perhaps one of us is a foot – a few others, toes. Two are legs – or, perhaps
fewer, so we’re carried by Another. And so on.

Of course the blood coursing through the veins and arteries, and carried betwixt and
between by the capillaries glorify the Creator – the one sustaining all things, keeping the legs
pumping, the feet thumping and the toes being toes.

How might our worries or our confidence manipulate this?

Those who cheer and encourage have finished the race they ran.
By faith.
In the day, they were faithful, and ran.
The next day, which was the previous day’s tomorrow – they were available for what
would come. And come it did, whatever it was. We don’t know.
So that day was the day, and they ran by faith.
And finished.

In The Prayer there is only one thing about our daily bodily function. Bread.
The Prayer begins with a statement and acknowledgement of Our Father, in Heaven.
His Name?
WOW!
Come, kingdom.
Thy Will?
Do it.
Here, and now as there and always.
(We are here; He is in Heaven: see above.)
Now, the bread – let’s eat – and now,
Well,
Perspective and permission to be of The I AM.
Forgive us – allow us to forgive. To live.
A statement of fact:
“I will not lead you into temptation.”
Ok?
Another fact:
“I will deliver you from evil.”
Ok?
So.
To Him is the Kingdom. Power. Glory.
Forever.

We pray The Prayer by faith.
He gifts faith – enough.
It’s there.
When we hear The Prayer in our mind’s ear – He put it there.
It’s not something we conjure up by our will, by our intellect, by our determination or
concentration.
He simply, clearly – with love and compassion – puts it there.
That’s clear.

He sends it, puts it and lets us – really wants our participation with Him. Meanwhile, the
crowd is howling encouragement.
Remember: the victory is a blowout blast!

By faith, when He sends, we can receive. Then, the thing is put.
So…
Nothing we can do riles the cloud of cheering witnesses.
What we will do – often, and oddly enough, because we can do it – by faith just might.
But probably not.
They already know! HA!
We’re still working things out.
The kinks, that is, so we can run – or maybe fly!
Soaring is a pretty fascinating thought. Eagles do it because they can.
Apparently, so will we!
Soar like….
To soar like will take some doing.

Here is where we start haranguing one another with the shame and blame of you, you,
you.
You louse.
You lazy, no good, unfaithful….
Really?
Yuk…we’ll leave hat one to rot – it already stinks, and has no value.
To soar like an eagle takes work – and it is God’s work to do, not ours.
Let’s step back.
Let’s think replacement. The sent, heard, put thinking.

Statement of apparent fact:
We are born dead.
Yeah, yeah; yadda, yadda.
Dead.
Darkness..
Flesh..
Lies…
In Jesus, through Spirit, by faith – God’s gift, and there’s always plenty – He knocks.
He gives us ears to hear..
He gifts faith to respond.
And He replaces death with Life!
Darkness with Light!
Spirit replaces flesh, and Truth replaces lies.
Cool beans.
This is done to us. By Him.
We don’t do it.
We don’t make it happen.
Done is done.
Fear not. He said I AM always with you.
Look it up..
Study…
Listen…
Obey.
This happens by faith, God’s gift, and plenty of it.

Any tugs?
Prefer wallowing in self-pity, or whatever other excuses allow the lie in?
Might be better to go fishing, or take a hike. Maybe water some flowers. Or take a good
nap – man, those work great!
Come back later.

Still here?
Tugs?
Some ripple on the surface of the water caused by an unseen breeze?
Cool.

Truth and time go hand in hand.
Be faithful today and available tomorrow.
Or – be faithful for the next few seconds—
Listen…
Stay faithful…
Need to do something else?
Go on. It’s okay.
Come back later.

Jesus.
In the beginning..
The Word..
With God..
The Word was God..
I AM that I AM.
Before Abraham was, I AM.

Well.
Truth.
I AM Truth.
Ok?
In the beginning..
I made all things; I keep all things going; all things will return to Me.
So, He is Source, Sustainer and Goal – of all things!

Truth and time go hand in hand.
I AM….is.
Truth is.
He made time for us – for awhile, that is.
He replaced darkness with Light, death with Life, lies with Truth, and flesh with Spirit.

Believe it?
Father, Lord, Spirit: help me in my unbelief.
Replace doubt with Knowledge.

Tug? Tug, tug.
Study..
Listen…
Obey..
Know Him.
Stay faithful – only available as a gift, freely given by I AM, Creator God.

Oh yes.
Let’s be thankful.

So, here we are. Reading. Thinking – all of these amazing – really incomprehensible –
electrical impulses flashing through our decaying bodies – and so on; whatever.

Ponder this.
Power. Might. Explosion. And so on.

As recorded by Paul – talk about replacement; hmmm –
All this energy was expressed by God when this happened:
Christ crucified – dead;
Christ buried – dead still;
Christ resurrected – alive!
Christ ascended – alive;
Christ seated at the right hand of the Father.
POW! KAZAM! ZAP! ZOWIE!
and you, too –
WHAT!?!!
me too, what?
Apparently, another statement…of fact.
And you, too, were
Crucified with Christ – dead;
Buried with Christ – still dead;
Resurrected with Christ – alive!
Ascended with Christ – alive;
And seated at the right hand of the Father with Christ.

-PAUSE-

One time, while lamenting this or that with my wife, I said, “What are we supposed to
do?”
I thought it was rhetorical in nature.
Not so.
Our soon-to-be middle daughter, then the youngest and less than four years of age, at the
time playing with toys on the floor, looked up and said, “Trust and obey.”
Ahem. That answer was clear enough and the lamenting conversation closed.

-PLAY-

So, we’ve been crucified with Christ – dead (the question “who died” is worthy); we’ve
been buried with Christ, dead (?who?); made alive with Christ (Power, Working of His Might);
ascended with Christ and seated at the right hand of the Father with Christ.
Born anew, in other words.

Okay….
So, here I am, seated in the lap of Jesus – it’s probably very comfortable here.

Okay…
So, I look over my left shoulder – I always have to look down and say right hand, okay,
over left shoulder – into the presence of I AM, Creator God, Heavenly Father, Spirit —-
And?
Makes asking God a why question seem rather trivial, I suppose.
When I was a child…
When I became a man, I put off childish things.
Yet, out of the mouth of babes….
Trust and obey.

In this perspective it appears that many statements in scripture are descriptive statements
of fact, rather than directions. Okay, here is what is going on; it looks like this.
Not, make yourself be this way; not directives.
For example – it’s something to think about, anyway.
Blesses are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Ok.
Believe it.
Does it mean that a type A controlling person should make themselves meek?
Or…
Creator God makes some meek. And, at times, when required for His glory and one’s
freedom, He may prepare one for meekness, and replace non-meekness with meekness, when the
time is right.
By worry, will height be added to anyone’s stature?
Will eye color change?
Aren’t the lilies lovely? And look: no thread.
Aren’t the sparrows happy? They don’t farm, and not a single one is unknown to the
Father.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness…
How would one living in darkness desire light without a peek at it? (There is something
in that statement about evangelism, eh?)
Creator God provides a cloud of witnesses to cheer us during the race. We race by faith –
in response to His starting whistle. And running a race makes one hungry and thirsty.
God is righteous.
Seek first the kingdom: God.
Seek righteousness.
Perhaps all who trust and obey are blessed by hungering and thirsting after/for
righteousness.
And so on.
Study…
Listen…
Obey: by faith. A gift from God.
There’s enough.
Any tugs?
Sense ripples on the water?
Truth and time go hand in hand.
Be faithful today, and available tomorrow.

Therefore, run the race with endurance. There’s a cloud of witnesses surrounding all
runners.
They already know the victory is complete. Don’t quit.

Giving up does not appear to be an option.