My youngest son texted yesterday asking for prayer for his knee. He’s been in recovery mode for most of the cross country season & was scheduled to run his first race later last night. He hasn’t run for over three weeks so his biggest concern wasn’t to win or get the best time, but to simply finish the race with no pain.
Later in the evening Isaiah called breathless. He had JUST finished the race without pain! He said, “Y’all, I feel like I’m electric! As the finish line came into view, there were several guys a few steps ahead. I had no pain in my knee so I decided to sprint, like all out sprint, after 8 kilometers, past
the guys & through the finish line!”
What a visual, right? What caught my ear was that he said “through” instead of “to”. He gave it his all THROUGH the finish line!
It got me to thinking, what if our walk (or run) with Jesus carried the same kinda exuberance, diligence & discipline THROUGH the finish line of our lives?
What’s so awesome is that when I opened my Bible this morning, I read about this very thing!
Paul exhorts the readers to do as he does-to remember that we are citizens of heaven, forgetting what is behind & pressing on “to reach the end of the race & receive the heavenly prize for which God THROUGH Jesus Christ is calling us.”
He begs the Philippians in tears to evaluate their own race. Many had allowed their appetite for earthly things to become their god, causing them to veer off course from the race set before them!
Y’all, I’m so convicted this morning, asking the Lord if I’m clinging to anything or anyone more than Him. Paul exhorted us to count it all as garbage so that we could gain a divine prize!
We all have a race set before us & if our finish line is as citizens of heaven, it’s essential to let go of any earthly appetite that would cause us to become sluggish & even veer off course.
Holy Spirit, woo us to The Way. Jesus is always the best way, but sometimes all the shiny things this life offers become little g gods, causing us to miss out on all that our Big G God has in store! Help us to run an unhindered race toward the divine prize of life with Jesus-here on earth & THROUGH the finish line into heaven!
💡ISAIAH 66:1-24
💡PHILIPPIANS 3:4-21
💡PSALM 74:1-23
💡PROVERBS 24:15-16
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