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June 26, 2024
- By Ed Powell
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"And let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith." Hebrews 12:1-2
The first need in our spiritual journey is a cleansing of our heart. That work of grace by the Holy Spirit, that goes deep within the inner man, that we need more than anything else, is a thorough cleansing until our hearts are made pure, our minds receptive, and our spirits responsive. David cried out to God, "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psalm 139:23-24). David realized he must have a cleansed heart before he could expect God to lead him in the way everlasting, direct his life, control his heart, and be the Lord of his life.
We must run our race with patience. Have you ever witnessed a flower growing in adverse circumstances, finding its way through a crack in a rock on a windswept mountain? You wonder how a plant can survive under these conditions.There is little sun, nourishment, or water, and yet it blooms with exquisite beauty! The answer is perseverance. Meditate on Dr. Bill Coker's words concerning the race we run in life:
Roger Bannister, the English track star, was the first runner to complete a mile in less than four minutes. His great achievement was acclaimed around the world and he was acknowledged as the foremost "miler." Many were curious as to how he was able to break such a hallowed record. His answer was, "With grit, determination, and steadfast perseverance, I ran." Are these characteristics found in our lives as we run our race in life?
The Kentucky Derby is the highlight of horse racing each year. Beautiful horses are groomed to perfection, cared for with the finest of attention, and trained to run at breakneck speed. Steve Cauthon, one of the great jockeys of all time, was to ride Spectacular Bid, the horse that finally won. But the secret to his win was that this great jockey ran his horse with "complete control," holding back the horse's energy until the last turn on the track. Then he unleashed the horse to go at full speed to the finish line. Many horses tear out of the starting gate at a full pace. More often than not, the horse that breaks out of the starting gate first, or the horse that leads the race most of the way, seldom wins. It's usually the horse that paces himself and runs with control. It's not how fast you leave the starting gate, but how well you finish that counts. Concentrate on the steadfastness of your race...rather than on the swiftness with which you run. The important ingredients to win our race are...CLEANSING, COMMITMENT, PERSEVERANCE, and CONTROL!
The last ingredient is CONFIDENCE. For the believer, it's "looking unto Jesus," the unmovable Rock of Ages, the Life that never varies, the same yesterday, today, and forever. We must run with unwavering trust and confidence in the One who is the "author and finisher of our faith." How true are the words of the chorus we often sing, "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full into His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace." KEEP LOOKING UP!
© 2007 by Ed Powell. Used by permission.
This page was reprinted by permission from: http://litmin.org/dare.php?date=2024-06-26
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