Running Our Race

Well the New Year has arrived and 'auld lang syne' has been sung, the festivities from Thanksgiving to Christmas, and welcoming the new year are over so we say goodbye to those things behind us as we prepare goals for a prosperous and happy new year. What will your goals be?.. to loose a few extra pounds, to stress a little less, to work less so you can enjoy life more, to be more accepting of others and less judgmental?... whatever you resolve to do, may you run your race in the name of our Lord Jesus so the words of your mouth and the meditation upon your heart is acceptable to Him in all things.
The Spirit impressed upon Paul in Hebrews 12:1, the necessity to lay aside all weights that bind or distract him [to strip off all those things that tend to slow him down], along with the sins [whatever it is that easily trips him up and causes him to stumble] so he could run with endurance the race God has set before him; and today He encourages you and I to do the same; to lay aside those things from our past that try to bind us and keep us from moving forward [we learn from our past but refuse to allow it to weigh us down] as we persevere running our race.
Jesus knew the course He had to run for our deliverance and never lost sight of where He was headed. By keeping His eyes fixed on the prize awaiting His finish, He was determined to put up with anything along His way: the lies, the scandal, the persecutions, the shame, the torture, the Cross; what ever came His way He never lost sight of the goal set before Him. Day by day He drew strength from His early morning talks with His Father, just as you and I are encouraged to continue today.
Each new day we are given fresh mercies to run our race; we don't have to save from yesterday or borrow from tomorrow, old things are passed away and all things are new as He gives fresh mercies day by day. He encourages us that when we begin to feel our journey is too rough, to keep our eyes fixed on Him and look at every little thing He endured along His way to declare from His cross, "It Is Finished!" By keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus as our example, and staying focused so we can see where we are headed, we will finish our course and oh, what a prized welcome it will be when we hear Him say,"Well done, good and faithful servant."
He finished His course and now sits in the place of honor at the right hand of the Father, cheering you and me on through our daily race, and He knows we can make it if we just don't quit! So whatever baggage we must lay down to finish our race, let's throw it off and stay focused on that finish line; Jesus will be there to award our prize-Eternal life with Him forevermore!
Have a wonderfully blessed new year, dear friend. God loves you and so do I~~~.