Pressing Forward

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.”

Hebrews 12:1

I started my second week of half marathon training this morning and it went pretty well! My Tuesday and Thursday runs are just maintenance runs in preparation for my long jogs on Saturday. So I’m able to take it easy and really spend some time with the Lord. 

I set out a little earlier today than usual. I was out of the house right before 5:30 and it made such a difference with the heat. Getting up 30 minutes earlier was definitely worth it!

I’ve been struggling lately with some serious frustration. I feel like I keep praying and praying for God to take something away for me, but at the same time, I try to find solutions and take care of it myself. Yesterday, a good friend pointed out to me that God isn’t going to fix it until I let it go and give it to Him. So this morning, I prayed and asked God to give me the strength to let it go. I prayed that He would help me to act as He would act, and to not give up when Satan attacks me. 

While praying, I thought of Hebrews 12:1. A missionary visited our church Sunday night and used this verse in his message. It first stuck out to me because it says, “and let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” With all of this running I’ve been doing lately, it’s only natural that such a verse would catch my attention. But this morning I was able to really relate it to my life, in more ways than in my jogging. 

This verse is a direct answer to my prayers. No one knows for sure who wrote the book of Hebrews, but whoever he was, he was surrounded by people who lived out their faith in Christ. People who encouraged each other, brought each other out of sin, and assisted one another in running the race God had set before them. This is what God wants for my life, not a constant feeling of frustration. God has given me very special people to build me up, to provide sound advice, and to point me in the right direction. Not by giving me their opinions, but by pressing me toward the Lord.

I am so thankful for the work the Lord has done in me the last several months and for the people He has placed in my life. Sometimes it takes difficult situations to really and truly appreciate what you have been given. So I won’t give in to Satan’s attacks. I will keep pressing forward with endurance, toward a half marathon and toward a closer walk with God.