Coffee With The Lord

A devotional reflection from my Bible reading today using the “Necessary Food” Bible reading plan: 1 Chronicles 3:1-4:23; Proverbs 23:26-35; Micah 2:1-13; John 21:1-14; Hebrews 12:1-2

I’ve had the privilege of running (and finishing) several marathons… I’ve also participated twice in “Hood to Coast” – for years billed as the world’s longest relay (196 miles from Mount Hood in Oregon to Seaside). Those experiences have taught me some wonderful spiritual lessons about running what I call “THE FAITH RACE”!

This year, Lord willing, once again in April I’ll celebrate my 78th birthday by running 78 miles the week of my birthday. I invite people from all over the world to send me their “prayer requests” and each day’s run becomes a “Prayer Run.”

Over the years I’ve developed what I call “Bartel’s Running Truism” – “I’m not fast, I’m just stubborn!”

It is believed the writer of Hebrews was writing to some Jews who had embraced Jesus as their Messiah. After deciding to follow Jesus, they were now experiencing incredible suffering, trials and persecution on their spiritual journey (read Hebrews 10:23-25, 32-36). They faced incredible temptation to give up and abandon their faith in Christ!

So Hebrews 11… The great faith chapter of the Bible, was written to encourage these suffering Jewish Christians, with Old Testament examples of faithfulness as they ran their “FAITH RACE”!

So in our “Faith Race” here’s a little outline I’ve developed to encourage us from Hebrews 12:1-2…

1. Our Challenge: “Let us run the race…set before us!”

· It’s not a sprint – it’s a marathon (a long race – a “course” – your “course” – 2 Timothy 4:7-8)

· Speed is not essential – finishing the race is! It’s not you against fellow competitors… It’s you against the course… finishing victoriously… finishing as strong as possible… but above all else finishing!

2. Our Need: Preparation and “Patience” (Vs. 1b)

· Self-discipline (training) required (1 Corinthians 9:24-27) My preparation for a marathon… 6 weeks, peaking at a 3 hour run, got to harden those legs to the road! Or the course will find you out!

· Getting rid of “every weight” that would hinder (I noticed an item in my shoe at the beginning of my first marathon. It had to be removed or I would not finish the race!)

· Dealing with the things that would trip us up: (Sin) – Any runner will tell you… Watch your step… Little things can trip you up!

· Patience is needed! My running truism… (remember it?) – “I’m not fast – just stubborn!”

3. Our Models and the Motivation (vss. 1b, 2-3)

· A “great cloud of witnesses” (cp. Hebrews 11) These are MORE than simply cheering spectators in the stands (or even those giving encouragement along the course) … These are those who have gone on before us, know the challenges and risks of “the course” and those who have finished the “faith race” and kept “the faith”!

· Jesus, is the pioneer and perfector of our faith (cp. He is our supreme model and motivation!)

· The motivation? The joy of victorious completion(Check out Apostle Paul’s personal conviction… (2 Timothy 4:7-8)

SO HERE IS MY PERSONAL LIFE-VERSE…

“None of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, SO THAT I MAY FINISH MY RACE WITH JOY,and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” (Acts 20:24)