Running the race

 Therefore, 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. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,  fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  ~Hebrews 12:1-2

I have found the race to not be a sprint, but a marathon.  It requires a steady pace and rhythm.  It requires commitment  and focus on the One who gives us the breath to run it in the first place.  Today I have struggled, but I am determined not to give up.  I am determined to put one foot in front of the other and mediate on God's grace.  I want to win the prize and with His help I will.  

His Word tells me that I am surrounded by a cloud of witnesses.  I am surrounded by others who have similar struggles, but have overcome by faith.  I have to throw off the sin that would seek to tie my shoe laces together and trip me up.  I have to throw the weight of sin off of my back so that I can run with abandonment to Jesus, my ever present help.

I have to persevere and run the race He has marked out for me.  He brought me to and He will bring me though it.  I have to believe in HIs promises and believe that He is able and willing to do what He said,  He is bigger than any situation, circumstance, or problem.  He is the fuel in my body that propels it forward.  I can't look back.  I have to fix my eye on Jesus the author and perfecter of my faith.  It's not me.  Its bigger than me,  God will keep His word.

So I inhale His love and exhale His grace and take step after step.  Not looking to my left nor right, but straight ahead to Him.  Knowing that He is cheering me on, giving me the victory.  So I encourage myself in Christ and keep moving, staying in the race.  I look to my brothers and sisters and Christ as we run this race together, knowing I am  not alone.  I gain inspiration and courage from others who are ahead of me and I reach back to help those who are behind me for it says in His Word , "let us" ( Hebrews 12:1)

Lord, I thank You for grace, mercy, and love.  Sometimes I want to treat this life like a sprint and I wear myself out, but it is You that refreshes me and tells me to get up when I fall.  It is You who tells me not to give up, but to keep running.  It is You that sets my pace and orders my steps.  It is You that lavishes me in your forgiveness and encourages me to keep my eyes on You an run the race with faith.  It is You that I run toward.  Thank You for being such a good Father and God.  I love You Lord.   I pray for my brothers and sisters who run the race with me.  May we run till the end. In Jesus name

A wake up call

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of Egypt, and go up to the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ 2 I will send an angel before you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 3 Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way.”  ~Exodus 33:1-3

When I read these verses this morning I was sad and being transparent fearful.  The last thing I would want is for God to remove His presence from me.  The people also mourned this news and immediately repented.  But there are nuggets of God's goodness and faithfulness even in the distressing news.  

First nugget, God keeps His oaths.  He promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that their descendants would have the promised land. God had been with the people day and night.  He wanted to dwell with them and for them to dwell with Him.  He wanted relationship, yet as He noted they were stiff necked, stubborn.  Yet, God keeps His promise.  He is going to provide them with an angel to go before them to drive out the people so that they could possess the land.  The people had been faithless, but God remained faithful. By no means am I saying that we should be stubborn and rebellious and expect God to bless us, but the fact remains that we do not get what we deserve.  God is gracious. His faithful character should cause us to examine ourselves and make a change where needed.  

Secondly, God is merciful.  He says He will  not go with them because he might destroy them.  I think this shows God's love.  He knew the people and He wanted them spared because He is a just God and will hold sin accountable. Yet, the removal of His presence should be a wake up call.  Nothing can substitute God, not an angel nor man.  His presence is how we move and have our being.  It is His breathe in our lungs.

Today's passage of versus makes me grateful for His promise that He will never leave nor forsake me (Deuteronomy 13:6 ; Hebrews 13:5).   I am grateful that He knows me.  He perceives my thoughts from afar and is familiar with all of my ways.  He knows what I am going to say before I even speak it.  He hems me in and lays his hand upon me.  Where can I go from His Spirit, where can I flee from His presence? (Psalm139:1-7) 

He knows me and loves me anyway.  He sent His Son to die for me.  His Son Jesus lives and  now I can live too. He lives in me.  His presence is with me.  Its up to me to abide in Him and gain strength from what He offers freely and daily.  Its up to me to not be stiff necked and to yield to His Spirit.  Its up to me to cultivate my  relationship with Him because He has given me the access to do so.  His arms are open and so are mine.

Lord, I thank You for Your word that causes me to examine myself.  I thank You for your truth and faithfulness even when I am not faithful.  I thank You for your compassion and grace and consuming love.  I thank You for being God.

He Keeps Me

 The LORD will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. ~Psalm 121:7-8

God kept me.  When I look back over my life I see all the ways that He kept me and is keeping me.  What a blessing to know that God is looking out for me and over me.  He is watching me as I come and go.  God is good and He is a loving Father. 

 He does nothing half way.  He keeps you from all harm.  No matter the circumstance, we can trust that God is in the midst of it working it out for our good according to His purpose ( Romans 8;28)  We know that His plans for us are not to harm us, but to prosper us and give us hope and a future ( Jeremiah 29;11). So the weapons the enemy throws at us will not prosper (Isaiah 54:17).

You may be thinking I have heard this all before, but I challenge you and myself to take a moment to reflect on the many ways that God has protected you and guided you.  Just getting to and from a destination safely or walking away from a car accident unharmed.  Food and other provisions being provided daily.  Good health and access to medical care. Comfort when one is stressed or feeling overwhelmed. New mercies each and every day (Lamentation 3:22-23).

Throughout this pandemic, wearing masks and gloves and constantly sanitizing God has kept us.  We have His breath in our lungs. As one song says, it could have gone another way. That's more than enough reason to praise Him and thank Him for all He does, for keeping us.

Father I thank You for keeping me through it all. I don't deserve it, but You keep me anyway.   Thank You for watching over me and loving me.  Thank You for being my defender.  Thank You for being my peace. Thank You for your grace.  Thank You for love.  Thank You for keeping my family. Thank You for being God.  In Jesus name.  Amen