Finishing Strong

"Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Hebrews 12

In college the cross-country team ran on the golf course. The officials for the race would go out ahead, placing flags on the course to show the runners where they were supposed to run. A certain color indicated "left turn." Another color meant "right turn." Another said "straight ahead."
There was a race marked out for the runners; and if they had any intention of taking home a medal, they had to follow the race-course marked out. You couldn't decide, "Boy, this is a ten-mile race, but I've only got four miles in me this morning. I'm going to take a short cut. I hope nobody minds."

You can't look at a particular hill and say, "That hill just looks nasty. I'm not going to tackle that one today. I'll just run around it." You have to run the race marked out for you.There is a race marked out for each of us runners; and if we have any intention of taking home a medal, we have to follow the race-course marked out. You couldn't decide, "Boy, this is a six-mile race, but I've only got four miles in me this morning. I'm going to take a short cut. I hope nobody minds."
You can't look at a particular hill and say, "That hill just looks nasty. I'm not going to tackle that one today. I'll just skip around it." You have to run the race marked out for you.

The same is true of the Christian life. God has gone before us. He knows our end from our beginning. He knows all the days of our life. In his great foreknowledge, he has gone ahead of us and planted these flags ahead of us. And the Scripture says, "Run with perseverance the race marked out for you."

Each race is unique. Yet we have a tendence to compare oursself with other people. When my race seems tough, and I want to feel sorry for myself, it's easy to look at someone else and say, "Boy, if I had his race to run, no problem. I could handle that. If I had his paycheck, I could run with perseverance the race marked out for me. If I had a husband or a wife, I could run with perseverance. If I had his health; if I didn't have this disability."

We can rationalize to the point where we say, "It's okay for me to quit. I don't have to run with perseverance because my course is so much harder than that of other people's."
But God says, "I want you to run this race. This is what I hold you accountable for. Don't think about others. You just look at me. And together, we'll run your race."
If you're going to finish, you've got to keep running until you reach the finish line.

But God doesn't leave us to run the race alone. He there right beside us encouraging us all the way. He is communicating to us, supporting us, giving us the strength to continue. He wants us to finish strong he want to finish with that runners kick.

So he stand beside us saying in Isaiah 46:3-4: "Listen to me. You whom I have upheld since you were conceived and have carried since your birth even to your old age and gray hairs, I am he. I am he who will sustain you. I have made you, and I will carry you."

God whispers in your ear: "Wait for the Lord. Be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."

The race is difficult at times but pray as Paul did, that we can fight the good fight, finish the race and keep the faith!