要在加州當一名律師，麥西（Maxcy Filer）必須通過該州為期三天的嚴苛律師資格考試。但他參加了四十八次的考試，才通過了這項艱難的測試。他的目標是什麼？是為了在他所愛的康普頓市，為那些弱勢的團體發聲。這四十八次的考試，竟經歷漫長的二十五年，而麥西夫婦所養育的七個孩子都已大學畢業。當他宣誓就職的那一刻，法官說：「我只能如此形容麥西，那就是：堅持、堅持不懈、堅持到底！」

麥西的故事，讓我想起聖經中那些堅忍到底的人。希伯來書作者列舉了其中一些，比如挪亞「因著信⋯⋯承受了那從信而來的義」（11章7節），還有亞伯拉罕、以撒、雅各（8-21節）、摩西（23-28節），以及其他許多人，這些例子都能激勵我們。

接著，作者勸勉信徒說：「我們既有這許多的見證人，如同雲彩圍著我們，就當放下各樣的重擔，脫去容易纏累我們的罪」（12章1節）。接著又說，「存心忍耐，奔那擺在我們前頭的路程」（1節）。我們要如何做到呢？就是「仰望為我們信心創始成終的耶穌」（2節）。每當想到基督為我們所忍受的痛苦，我們就不至於「疲倦灰心」（3節）。

信心的考驗讓我們有機會為了主的名存心忍耐。靠著祂的大能，我們能堅持到底。

To become a lawyer in California, Maxcy Filer had to pass the state’s grueling, three-day bar exam. So he took it not once, not twice, but forty-eight times before passing the tough test. His goal? To advocate for the underprivileged in Compton, his beloved city. Between his first and last attempts at passing the exam—across twenty-five years—Filer and his wife raised seven children, all who went to college. When Filer was sworn in, the judge said, “Three words about Maxcy Filer: perseverance, perseverance, perseverance.”  

His story prompts me to think of people in the Bible who persevered. The writer of Hebrews recognized some: Noah, who “by his faith . . . became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith” (11:7). Or Abraham, Isaac, Jacob (vv. 8-21), Moses (vv. 23-28), and others. Such examples inspire us.

The writer then exhorts believers in Christ: “Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles” (12:1). We then read, “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (v. 1). How will we do this? By “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith” (v. 2). As we consider Christ’s sacrifice for us, we “will not grow weary and lose heart” (v. 3).

Challenges to our faith give us opportunity to endure in His name. In His power, we persevere.