Held in the Waiting: A 33-Day Devotional
Trusting God’s Heart When Healing Is Delayed and Strength Feels Thin
Day 25 — Running with Patience
Theme: Enduring the Long Race of Chronic Illness
Scripture (Douay-Rheims Bible)
Hebrews 12:1–3
“And therefore we also having so great a cloud of witnesses over our head, laying aside every weight and sin which surroundeth us, let us run by patience to the fight proposed to us:
Looking on Jesus, the author and finisher of faith, who having joy set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and now sitteth on the right hand of the throne of God.
For think diligently upon him that endured such opposition from sinners against himself; that you be not wearied, fainting in your minds.”
Meditation
When Marcus was first diagnosed, he treated illness like a sprint.
He gathered information quickly, tried multiple treatments, adjusted his lifestyle overnight. He believed determination alone would carry him through.
But months turned into years.
The urgency faded into endurance.
One afternoon, feeling especially discouraged after another setback, Marcus read Hebrews 12. The phrase “run by patience” caught his attention.
He had been trying to sprint a marathon.
Chronic illness was not a short race to be conquered quickly. It was a long road requiring pacing, resilience, and focus.
That day, Marcus stopped asking, “How do I finish this fast?” and began asking, “How do I endure faithfully?”
The race did not shorten.
But his mindset shifted.
Reflection
Hebrews speaks of life as a race—but not one defined by speed.
“Run by patience.”
Patience here is not passive waiting. It is active endurance. It is the steady decision to continue forward despite fatigue.
Chronic illness tests endurance deeply. Symptoms may fluctuate. Progress may stall. Setbacks may feel discouraging.
It is easy to grow weary—not only physically, but mentally and spiritually.
The passage instructs us to look to Jesus—the author and finisher of faith. He endured the cross. He endured shame. He endured suffering with a vision beyond the present pain.
Endurance grows when perspective widens.
Consider what may weigh you down in this race:
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Comparison to healthier seasons.
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Regret over lost opportunities.
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Anxiety about the future.
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Self-criticism for slower progress.
Hebrews calls us to lay aside every weight.
You may not be able to remove illness immediately. But you can release unnecessary emotional burdens that intensify it.
Endurance does not require constant enthusiasm.
It requires steady commitment.
When you feel faint in your mind, remember that you are surrounded by a “cloud of witnesses”—faithful believers across generations who endured hardship.
You are not the first to walk a long road.
And you are not alone in it.
Prayer
Author and Finisher of My Faith,
You see how long this race has been. You know the weariness that sometimes settles deeply in my bones and my mind.
Teach me to run with patience.
When I feel tempted to give up, strengthen my resolve. When progress seems slow, remind me that faithfulness matters more than speed.
Help me lay aside unnecessary burdens—comparison, regret, fear—that weigh down my spirit.
Fix my eyes on You. You endured suffering with purpose. You finished what You began.
Give me that same steady endurance.
When I feel faint in my thoughts, renew my mind. When discouragement whispers that I cannot continue, remind me that You walk beside me.
I may not control the length of this race.
But by Your grace, I will keep running.
Amen.
