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going on

Hebrews 12:7-13 (JDV)

Hebrews 12:7 Endure suffering as discipline: God is dealing with you as sons. You see, what son is there that a father does not discipline?
Hebrews 12:8 But if you are without discipline – which all share – then you are illegitimate children and not sons.
Hebrews 12:9 Furthermore, we had human fathers discipline us, and we respected them. Shouldn’t we submit even more to the Father of breaths and live?
Hebrews 12:10 You see, they disciplined us for a short time based on what seemed good to them, but he does it for our benefit so that we can share his holiness.
Hebrews 12:11 No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Hebrews 12:12 Therefore, strengthen your tired hands and weakened knees,
Hebrews 12:13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated but healed instead.

going on

James Bolick’s insight captures the emotional and spiritual realism of Hebrews 12. The writer is not addressing believers who are running with strength and confidence. He is addressing believers whose hands are drooping, whose knees are buckling, and whose hearts are close to giving up. The imagery in Hebrews 12:12 is not of a runner who is merely tired, but of one who is nearly paralyzed—someone on the verge of collapse. Bolick is right to say that two forces are at work in this condition, and both have a paralyzing effect.

The first force is external difficulty. Hebrews has already described the pressures these believers faced: hostility from sinners, persecution, public shame, confiscation of property, and the constant weight of living in a hostile world. These external pressures wear down the soul. They drain courage. They make obedience feel costly and perseverance feel impossible. External hardship can weaken even the strongest believer when it is relentless.

The second force is internal weakness. Hebrews speaks of “growing weary” and “losing heart.” This is the inward collapse that follows prolonged struggle. Fear rises. Doubt whispers. Discouragement settles in. The believer begins to question whether the race is worth running at all. Internal weakness magnifies external difficulty until the entire Christian life feels overwhelming.

The writer of Hebrews does not deny these forces. He names them honestly. But he also provides two essential remedies.

The first remedy is looking to Jesus. Fixing the eyes on Christ reorients the heart. Jesus endured hostility, shame, and suffering far beyond anything His followers face. He ran His race with joy, and He finished it. Seeing Him—His endurance, His faithfulness, His victory—infuses strength into weary souls. Christ becomes both the example and the source of renewed courage.

The second remedy is strengthening oneself through renewed commitment. Hebrews calls believers to “lift up drooping hands” and “strengthen weak knees.” This is not self‑reliance but deliberate resolve. It is the choice to keep running even when strength feels small. It is the decision to take the next step, trusting that God supplies power as the race continues. Commitment becomes a channel through which divine strength flows.

Together, these remedies form a path forward for the weary: look to Jesus, and keep running. External pressures may remain, internal weakness may linger, but the God who calls believers to the race also sustains them in it.

Bolick James H. Sermon Outlines for Revival Preaching. Pulpit Library ed. Baker Book House 1986.