BE COURAGEOUS AND RUN
BE COURAGEOUS AND RUN
The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.” —Acts 23:11
There are “works” that our Lord has for you and me— “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10) — and as He has already worked in our lives so He will accomplish those “works” in our lives until that work is over and we die. This “work” of testifying in Rome would happen, but there was much that would take place beforehand and Paul was to be courageous. Paul would experience persecution, prison, perilous times and personal doubts before the time would come to testify in Rome.
God has work for us as well and we will go through all kinds of experiences as we serve Him and we also need to be courageous. But one thing is sure and that is “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” (Hebrews 12:1-2). So as we run this race—
- Reflect on the witness of Hebrews chapter 11 and be encouraged
- Throw off everything good and bad that hinders us in this race
- Throw off the sin that so easily entangles us (keeps/hinders us from running the race)
- Run with perseverance
- Remember this race was marked out specifically for us by our Lord
- Keep our eyes fixed on Jesus (don’t get distracted from Him or the race He has called us into)
- He is the pioneer/author of our faith (this is His plan for you)
- He is the perfecter/finisher of our faith (He will finish His plan for you)
So let us remember that just as Paul would not die until He finished “the race marked out” for him (), so we will not die until we finish “the race marked out for us. So take courage and run! Courage will come as we reflect on the saints of Hebrews chapter 11 and as we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus! Run! And when you run do not get distracted! May we be able to say as Paul did— “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nhk_5c6H-yc
Dear Father may I run faithfully the race marked out for me. Oh that I would persevere, keeping my eyes fixed on Jesus. Yes, may this be so by the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Your Precious Son Jesus. So be it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLX83HbefrI