Taking the Baton

Taking the Baton
Words of Faith 4-14-26
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2026
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Hebrews 12
[1] Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,

The word "therefore" is a connector word. It is a word that answers the question: "So what?"

So what does this mean to us that there is this incredible hall of faith? So what difference does it make to us that so many have trusted in God and found peace in living by faith? Paul's answer is that we are not alone. We have a great cloud of witnesses.

There is a crowd cheering us on in our faith journey. Interpreters often point to the language here as that of a foot race. It is an excellent image. We can almost see and hear the spectators in the stands watching and cheering us on. It is not a bad image, but it overlooks the fact that the great cloud of witnesses is not composed of spectators but participants.

A better image might be a relay race, with those who have already passed the baton standing and cheering for our leg. These are not spectators simply watching from the stands. These are the people of faith who have already invested in our race and are waiting to see how we will complete our "leg" of the race.

The key truth is that we are NOT alone. In our daily struggle to believe in an unbelieving world and trust in an untrusting world, we are being cheered on by the likes of Moses, Abraham, David, and Paul, just to name a few of the big-name sprinters. We are also cheered on and encouraged by a host of unnamed Jews and Christians who once carried the baton and now depend upon us to finish out the race.

It may cause us to think: Who handed me the baton? Who is the person who led you to the Lord? We certainly owe it to that person to run the race well. What about others who prayed you into the Kingdom? What about those who planted seeds and others who watered the seeds in your life? When I think of the great cloud of witnesses, I always think of my Granny, who went on to be with the Lord. Granny prayed for me every day of my life, and I cannot imagine she stopped once she got to heaven.

It is a powerful thing to know that we are not alone. When we waver in our belief, the crowd cheers us on. When we are weary and thinking of quitting the race, those who have run before us build us up with their encouragement. When we stumble or even fall flat, the crowd cheers as we get back up and begin to run again.

Thank You, Lord, for the great cloud of witnesses who surround me each day. Help me sense their encouragement as I seek to run the good race. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2026
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2026 Jeffrey D. Hoy.