Hebrews 12:1 says, "...Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." 2 Timothy 4:7 says, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." What is this race that both verses talk about? What does it mean to "fight the good fight?" These are questions I ask when studying these verses. Piper writes that "we all must run, whether young or old, whether sick or healthy" and that "the race is run with the heart, not the legs, and the fight is fought with the heart, not the fists. It is a race and a fight not against other athletes, but against unbelief." To fight the good fight of faith is to fight to rest in God, to trust in the power of God. "The race is run against temptations that would make us doubt God's goodness." It is a fight to stay satisfied in God through broken hearts, lost jobs, heartache over the loss of a loved one, and any and all other trials that the believer inevitably goes through. The race is a race and a fight against hopelessness, especially in the midst of a trial.
Piper concludes in this particular devotional that "the finish line is crossed in the end, not by a burst of human energy, but by collapsing into the arms of God. In the Christian race, we do not finish alone. We finish together. It is part of the rules." And the Lord God Almighty awaits us at the finish line, ready to catch us and carry us home after we arrive battered and bruised but strong in spirit and faith across the finish line at the ends of our lives.
As I flipped through the pages of my journal yesterday, I found this prayer written: "You are Lord. Let me never forget that - especially in the midst of pain and trials." That entry was dated 17 November 2009. One year before one of the greatest trials of my life (the heartbroken thing). I was not going through a trial at the time that journal entry was written. I must have read something, however, that reminded me that my strength and help comes from the Lord in each and every circumstance. And how funny it was to notice that God had reminded me of this a full year before I would really need that knowledge. He was preparing my heart; He has always been preparing my heart. One of my favorite song verses ("Let the Waters Rise" by MIKESCHAIR) says, "You were faithful before, You'll be faithful again. God I trust You."
Concerning trials and suffering, Oswald Chambers once wrote: "Faith is not understanding. It is total commitment to Jesus Christ." But good grief, how quick are we (am I!) to forget that God is utterly committed to joyfully demonstrating His goodness by doing us good! "The godly are designed for unknown and inconceivable happiness" - Jonathan Edwards. Unfortunately, in the middle of a struggle, my sinful heart is quick to forget this and quick to dwell on the pain at hand. Quick to forget the promise in Philippians 4:19, "My God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." My heart is quick to notice and dwell on the waves and the crashing waters of the storm and oh so quick to forget my faithful God who is riding the storm out with me. Elizabeth Elliot wrote in her book Passion and Purity:
"How much like the disciple Peter I am,
for while I keep my eyes on Jesus I walk where no man has walked before.
And the instant I look down, the minute I survey
my situation through the eyes of man, I begin to sink.
But as with Peter, Jesus holds out His hand to me and
lifts me to safety. Only when I forget the lesson,
only when I lapse back into self pity and indulge myself with the human
approach to Heavenly things do I begin to sink. The lesson
is so very clear - keep your eyes on Jesus, look full into His
wonderful face, and the joys of this world go strangely dim
in the light of His wonder and grace..." Amen!!
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