Are you ready to finish your race?

2 Timothy 4:7-8

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Lately it seems that a number of people I knew from my younger years have been finishing their earthly race.  While this is certainly sad for those of us that remain, I can’t help but continue to be reminded of the crown that they are receiving. 

When you really think about it, this is what our purpose in life is all about.  We are here to fight a good fight and keep the faith. 

This weekend, my family will surround my sister in law with our love as she says her final goodbye’s to her dad.  Her dad was a pastor, even until he was diagnosed with cancer just 2 short months ago.  He was a good and faithful servant of the Lord. 

As I spoke with her this morning, she had a peace about her and a joyfulness about her that you wouldn’t expect to hear or see coming from someone who just lost their dad.  Some of her family doesn’t understand it, doesn’t understand how she can be so happy through such a sad time.  She is sad, for her loss, yet so excited and happy for she knows without a shadow of a doubt that he is now pain free and about to be united with our Lord and Savior. 

Brothers and sisters in Christ, I said it just a couple of weeks ago but it continues to be on my heart so I will say it again today, this world is not our home, we are simply passing through.  I pray today that each of you are ready to finish your earthly race whenever it is that the Lord calls us home.

Seasons

“To everything there is a season,

a time for every purpose under heaven.”

     Ecclesiastes 3:1

I love autumn--the falling leaves, beautiful colors, crisp air--but it always seems to pass too quickly and then winter is upon us.  During the long winter, it often feels as if the cold and darkness will never end, but eventually, spring comes.  God ordains the seasons here on earth and in our lives too.  Remembering this truth helps me keep an eternal perspective while going through the various seasons in my life.

When in seasons of abundance, promise and accomplishment, it’s good to rejoice and give thanks with a grateful heart, but not cling too tightly to the good things. We can loosen our grip and let our good Lord lead us into the next season, trusting that He will be with us.  Although the sunshine doesn’t always last, memories of its warmth and light can sustain us during the wintry times.

During seasons of adversity, waiting or dryness, we can know that God has a good purpose for our discomfort.  It may be dark and cold but God can use the time to grow our faith and mold our character.  We can make it through the winter with a hopeful heart knowing that spring will come again.  We can experience God’s blessings even during the wintry season by yielding our hearts and lives to His work in us.

Seasons change but God’s faithfulness remains constant.

Tues Devo: Interests

Matthew 16:21-23 “From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day. Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.” But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”” (NASB)

Philippians 2:3-5 “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,” (NASB)

Hello,

This past week had me thinking a lot about stuff that interests me, compared to things that don’t really interest me. Most of that thought has come in the context of friendships and relationships. As we look to improve or deepen our relationships with others, we may have to step outside of our normal interests. Our relationships can only go as far as we are willing to invest into that person and their interests. This does not just apply to human relationships, but also to our relationship with Christ. As we look to grow that relationship, we have to look to what His interests are and pursue those. You see, the more we dig into the interests and passions of someone – the more we know them, and what drives them. As time passes we take those interests on, for the other and then for us as well.

My challenge for us is to dig into what interests Christ, and pursue those items as we pursue Him.

Have a blessed day,

Will Hill