running

The Road Ahead

/ pastorpete51 / Leave a comment

This year has been filled with changes in our lives. Some of the changes have been great and some difficult. The greatest struggle when life starts up a new pathway is that we don’t know what lies ahead. One change for me has been retiring from my small business and taking a part time job in a store. I had been tracking my daily steps over the last year because my wife and I like to see if we are meeting our daily goals when we walk. Since starting at a large store I was astonished that now my step counter often shows me at 150% of my goal. I have to admit that I was pretty impressed with myself until I stopped to wonder what numbers a marathon runner must have not only in their race but in their daily training. In Hebrews the Bible gives guidance for how we are to keep in shape for the race ahead.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Hebrews 12:1

What kind of race are you running today?

 

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From wings to heaven’s window

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But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not faint Isaiah 40:31

img_4551When God renews our strength He first gives us wings. Wings like eagles can soar far above our weakness and rest on the breathe of the wind. Even eagles do come to rest, and when we find our feet back on the ground God often fires off the starting gun for our race.

As a teen I ran on our track team. Thanks to a patient coach he allowed even slower runners like me to stay on the team if we came for the practices and finished our races. Though I never knew what it was to win a race, I learned a lot about running through the finish line.

I remember that on the first days of practice some of us would stumble near the end of the second mile, but we each found a way to make it to the end. That is when the temptation was overwhelming to throw ourselves down on the ground in exhaustion. But that seemingly well deserved rest was never allowed by our coach. He would be right there pressing us on saying. “Don’t stop yet guys! Walk it off! Walk it off!”

Tonight if you have run your heart out and feel that you have crossed some finish line, remember Isaiah’s message. You will not only ride with eagle’s wings and run without growing weary, but you will also walk and not faint. If weariness calls tonight to simply cast yourself down to the ground and say that you are through, hear the voice of Jesus my friend, “Don’t stop yet! Walk it off! Walk it off! p1020421There is still so much more more to come!”

He calls us in that moment to come up by His side to look out through heaven’s window and to see His horizon that stretches  far beyond our own finish line!