Hebrews 12 begins with you looking onto a large electronic signboard. You are standing in the middle of a large crowd surrounded by a plethora of faith both in people you know and do not know. Your eyes dart around the crowd catching the faces of 'greats'. People you know from history, those you know from your church, and those you have only heard about. Job. Martin Luther. John Wycliffe. Billy Graham. Ulrich Zwingli. Jim Elliot. Hudson Taylor and Eric Liddell. How did you end up in the center of such people when you judge them to have more faith than you. God does not see it that way for your faith has registered with Him to be as great as any of these people. Your faith has brought you through so many trials and tribulations. You were created . . . .; you were knit together in your mother's womb. You were fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:13-14). "But YOU are a chosen person, a royal priest, part of a holy nation, part of God's special possessions" (1 Peter 2:9). God demonstrated His love towards you in this; while you were still a sinner, Christ died for you (Romans 5:8).
This is what puts you center of all these 'greats of the faith' - Jesus died for you. Jesus chose you! When you consider your trials and tribulations you stand amazed that you have survived so much. The close calls with death in that car accident that should have cut life short for you. Medical procedures that came unexpected bringing you to the Father to ask for intercession. Sins committed that if found out by the public world you would certainly be excommunicated and sent to a deserted island to live out life alone.
Yet here you are center stage on the electronic billboard with every eye that passes by sees the advertisement saying "Great People of Faith". That is how God sees You! You are the apple of His eye, the one He hides in the shadow of His wing (Psalm 17:8). It is your friends that see the billboard and deep within sigh confirming that you should be up there. They have seen your walk of faith as you relied on Jesus to be the author and perfector of your faith (Hebrews 12:2). Quickly the memory comes back of the billboard and you remember seeing that actually Jesus is at the center of the display. You watch for a few minutes and every thirty seconds there is a new person in the middle standing next to Jesus. How did they ever write such and incredible program that would change the focal point to another person standing next to Jesus center stage. Being among so many who have placed their faith in the Son of Man is what makes it such a great cloud of witnesses. For it was He who endured such hostility by sinners, so that you would not grow weary and lose heart (Hebrews 12:3). As you start to walk away you take one last look and there you are again center stage among the greats of faith. There is Jesus standing next to you hand on your shoulder and smiling straight at YOU. As you walk on there is a new glow inside for you know the acceptance of Jesus means more to you than anything in this present world. You walk more upright. Your stride has more spark. Your face glows a little brighter for the light of the world is shining inside of you.