December 29, 2023 … Finishing the Race

December 29, 2023 … Finishing the Race  

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...   Please take the time to take in this song with lyrics from Francesca LaRosa and Hannah Schaefer singing … I Have Finished the Race …  Poignantly singing of what its like when we Christians finish running the race of life.  

Running in the race we call "life" ....

==========

Highlight Passage: … James 1:12  [ESV] … 

12 God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.

… James writes of inishing the race of life to receive God’s promised “crown of life.”    

Highlight Passage (in context) … James 1:1-12  … USE THIS LINK … 

… James challenges fellow Christins who’re enduring trials, to persevere in faith and to finish the race of life, receiving God’s reward of the crown of eternal life,                                      

===============                                                                 .                                                                                                                                             

Reference Passage: … Acts 20:22-24 (NLT] …  USE THIS LINK …

… Paul, knowing that trials and prison lie ahead, … knew that he must press on to finish the work God had called him to do.

Reference Passage: … 1Corinthians 9:24-27 (NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Paul compares his life to being a runner, preparing for and running a long race  

Reference Passage: … Philippians 3:12-14 (NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Paul also shows fellow Christians how he presses in life to run the race Christ has set before him and to finish the race for God’s glory..  

Reference Passage: … 2Timothy 4:7-8 (NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… At the end of his life, the Apostle Paull declares that he had finished the race of faith, awaiting the crown of eternal life which awaited him in glory.  

Reference Passage: … Hebrews 12:1-2 (NLT] … USE THIS LINK … </b>

… God’s word, thru the Author of Hebrews, charges Christians to strip off any weight which holds them (us) back … from finishing the race of life set before them (us), on the way to that finish … eternal life.                        

         

My Devotional Journal: Today’s Our Daily Bread Author , Marvin Williams -  AT THIS LINK -   tells of a young 12 year-old girl who, trying to be on time for a 5K run, mistakenly got in a race with those in a half-marathon (See photo); and tho it was hard, the young girl pressed on to finish the race set before her.  

And the ODB entry today is an apt illustration of God’s word challenging us Christians to prepare for the race we call “life.”  And that’s why you find me here, EVERY DAY, preparing to run to the finishing line so that - one day - I will receive that wreath of glory which The Lord will have for me.  Are you running with me?                  

My THANKFULNESS: ... Oh, Abba Father, thank You, King Jesus, … for giving me Your strength to finish Your race.

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I pray. again today, that all reading here will join me, … to do what we need to do, Lord, to finish Your race.    … Amen  

=============

Blogger Note:  Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled “Our Daily Bread,” distributed online via email by RBC Ministries.  If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.