Perseverance to Make it Home

I could excel on the hills when I ran races, picking up my pace. This burst of energy allowed me to catch up with others who slowed or stopped, which may have helped me place somewhere near the top in a few of them. I dug in my heels and pushed on when the race was more difficult.  That was my strength. A message was forming in my head as I reflected on this while running the other morning. When the path before us gets tough, we need to persevere and press on. That may be a theme, as I have overcome many obstacles.

This verse came to mind, “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” (Heb. 12:1, ESV, Emphasis added).

It was a good day. I felt it in my bones that I would run the whole route without stopping. Over halfway there – just as I felt confident – I stepped on a rock, turned my ankle, and hit the pavement; my knee and hand getting the brunt of the road rash. Thankfully, not breaking any bones.

Was this part of the message? I believe so. Just as we begin to be confident in our walk with God, the enemy throws a stumbling block in our path to trip us up. With that in mind, I got up, kicked the rock off the road, did a brief mental scan of my injuries, and kept running all the way home.

When we know God is with us and hold to the straight and narrow path, “Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2, emphasis added), we can kick Satan out of the way and keep running, all the way home, to one day see Jesus where He is seated at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2).

Some messages are more painful than others, but God can use all of them for His good and glory. My life is full of painful messages, sharing them can help others, making it worth it.

To God be the Glory, forever and ever. Amen.

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28, emphasis added).

“For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matt. 7:14, emphasis added).