The Race Before Us

Longing to run, but afraid to fail, that’s the story of my life.  I’ve let this blog sit idle for so many months, it’s hard to imagine that for years I regularly wrote blog entries. But I love to write. I write nearly every day—just not here. Mu husband’s asked me to write… just write. Every day, just write. In this step of faith season, I was reading in the Word the other day… I read Hebrews 12.1, which says, “Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is before us.”

I considered that we’re all compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses… who are they? They’re family, friends, pastors, teachers, creators of music, hymns, spiritual songs, writers, speakers, so many sources… so many witnesses! And then, there are weights — trials, or sins, or regrets, or failings, or shame, or limitations, or whatever: weights—weights that so easily beset us, weights that trip us or prevent us from running the race that is set before us.  Later, in this same chapter, I received further encouragement to run the race that’s set before me. And I thought on some of the many, many truths I know.

God’s created us for His good pleasure; He’s also created us to good works. We read in Ephesians 2.10, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”  So, once again, I’m inspired to press on.

Hebrews 12.11-13 goes on to say, “Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; and make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.”
Now, I’m no “name it and claim it” girl, but I trust God’s Word and I believe that He seeks for me —for us— to be healed in such a manner that we will trust Him for the race that is set before us.

All my doubts and failures, all my fears and anxieties that prevent me from stepping out in faith, God wants to heal and forgive. In putting a foot in front of the other to walk by faith and not by sight, to take another step of faith after each previous step… God seeks to encourage. Hope for the next step, God wants to give.  God’s ordained that I should walk in faith. And all the good works that’s He’s planned for me? I should walk in them. I pray you see this with me for yourself. That we will run the race…

The good works? I must walk in them. I must run in them. They’re what He’s created me to do.  They’re what He’s created you to do.

Run the race. Let’s run the race!