Day 365 – Never Stop Running your Race

Hebrews 12:1-2 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

In 365 days a lot has happened, and the same goes for the next 365. It’s like coming to the end of 1 chapter and continuing on to the next until the book ends.

But we must never stop running until God calls us home or Jesus comes riding through the clouds welcoming us into Heaven.

This book that has been written for us is the race called life. Every step increases our endurance, every hill makes us stronger. There are people on every side watching to see how we finish, to see if we stop or give up. We must finish strong.

The race we’re on is one God placed us on. If we keep our eyes on Him we can make it to the end as faithful.

His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ Matthew 25:21

There was a place in my life 8 years ago, almost to the day, where I could’ve easily ended my race.

Just 4 days after I laid my youngest son’s body in the ground and His spirit went up to Heaven I laced up my running shoes and prepared to run in my first marathon. With 100% certainty I didn’t think I could make it, how could I run this race after my child would never run on this earth again?

But as I prayed, I heard God say “Run.”

He had prepared me; He would see me through.

As tears lightly fell to the ground as I entered the “Happiest Place on Earth”, God would encourage me through verses like Philippians 4:13, texts, prayers, friends coming alongside me, and a choir of angelic voices ushering me through to the finish line. He was my light and my path, He gave me the strength to throw off everything that would hinder me from running my race so I could Glorify Him.

I didn’t have it all together, I was one big fat mess, and I still am. But I’ve decided to run this race until I see Jesus Face to Face.

Today may be the end of one year, but it’s only the beginning of the rest of your life. What’s stopping you from running it with Jesus?

Day 364 – Count it all Joy.

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have it’s full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-4

There will be good times and there will be hard times, but through Christ, we have the opportunity to count it all as joy.

Jesus didn’t say, believe in me and everything will be easy. No, he said, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

You see, Joy is the presence of Christ. It isn’t happiness, it is the feeling of freedom and peace in all circumstances. It is saying “your will be done” to Jesus when you were hoping your will would have been done. It’s trusting Jesus, that His outcome is better for you than what you thought was best for you. Joy is seeking the rainbow in the storm.

Joy is always available to us because Jesus is always with us.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded to you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20

As you get ready to go into this new year, I challenge you to seek joy every day. Write down something you are thankful for, grateful for, something that brought you Joy. And I bet you will Find Joy in every circumstance, and Find Jesus right there with you.

Day 363 – Be Ready for the Next Chapter

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die;a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal;a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh;a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose;a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew;a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate;a time for war, and a time for peace.” Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Seasons come and seasons go. When one chapter closes another one opens, each one different yet equally beautiful.

Viewing the seasons of our life through the eyes of God allows us to see a Greater Book with many chapters, including lessons, loves and losses, characters, plots, rising actions, climaxes, and falling actions. We get drawn into the pages, not knowing what will happen, wanting to skip over some chapters quickly and linger on others forever. God tugs at every heart string holding tightly until it’s time to let go. Before we know it, one chapter has ended and another begins.

I often wonder how God chose which chapters he’d write in my book. Did he know I’d be able to handle each Word, the laughter, the tears, the life and death, the dancing and grief, the tearing down and building up?!

No matter his reasoning, I decided long ago to trust Him because He’s seen my book to the end. He’s written every word and defined every action. He’s the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, and He lays across every page in between.

He walks with us across the sands of time. His light reflects off the Sunrise and the Sunset.

While looking back on our life, focusing in on the details in pictures, sometimes He carries us and sometimes He holds our hand. In every chapter, in every season, He’s there, Making our Book reflect Him.

Day 362 – It is ALWAYS the right TIME to do the RIGHT thing.

“For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
Esther 4:14

Every day, every hour, and every minute we have a decision to make. Sometimes they’re easy, and sometimes the wait of them can weigh us down. However, it is always the right time to do the right thing.

Esther, one of my favorite people in the Bible. She was being brought up by her uncle when she was called to the castle to be judged. She remained humble and kind, and found great favor with the king and all of His subjects. Yet, Haman, his second in command, didn’t realize she was a Jew, and he despised the Jews. Haman was set to have all the Jews killed, and Mordecai sent a message to Esther to go before the king. Esther remembered her place in the castle and knew that going to the king could mean death, but not going could mean death for her people. So, she made the right decision in a hard place, and set her life aside for the lives of many others.

Years later, another man, the Son of God, Jesus, would do the same thing. He knew from the beginning what the right decision would be. He loved his life knowing he would die for you and me.

“And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?” Luke 9:23 – 25

Sometimes it take a lot of humility, sometimes it may feel like it takes laying down our desires, but it’s always the right time to make the right decision. Who knows, you may have come to this place for such a time as this.

Day 361 – You are Known and Loved.

“O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up;you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying downand are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue,behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before,and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;it is high; I cannot attain it. Where shall I go from your Spirit?Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there!If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morningand dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me,and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,and the light about me be night,” even the darkness is not dark to you;the night is bright as the day,for darkness is as light with you. For you formed my inward parts;you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.Wonderful are your works;my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you,when I was being made in secret,intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance;in your book were written, every one of them,the days that were formed for me,when as yet there was none of them. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand.I awake, and I am still with you.” Psalm 139: 1-18

God knit you together exactly how He wanted you. Each freckle, each inch, each strand of hair, He knew. He looked at you and loved you, and said, “Yes, this is good.” Nothing can change the beauty He sees in you.

God then began to write. He took His book and wrote out your days. He said, “She will be born on June 4th and do this with her life and pass into eternity on this day….” Nothing can change the days He’s laid out.

Once we take the time to see ourselves and others through the eyes of our Heavenly Father, we will see beauty and love and trust. Take the time to see the good He sees, the good He created, and experience all the Love He has.

Day 360 – When we look to God we find the good.

“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.” Gen.50.20

Every Christmas Eve for the past 7 years, my family has had the tradition of going to breakfast and sharing memories of our youngest son who we lost almost 8 years ago. It’s our way of keeping him as a part of our Christmas festivities.

Usually, we remember the funny things he did, the way he made a duck face or backed in to sit on our lap, the way he took up for his friends or did one handed push ups, but this year, when it came time for our oldest son to share a story, he said something that we all felt deeply. Hunter shared that his faith has grown tremendously because of Hayden. Not because of what he did or the way he was, but when Hayden passed away Hunter became very angry. We kept pointing him to God during this time, and one day it all just clicked and his anger passed away and his dependence and trust in God grew even deeper. It was in something that none of us thought was good that God made good come.

That’s what God does, He brings good from the things that are meant to harm us. The thing is, we may not see it if we aren’t looking to Him. We have to look to God in the hard, bad, no good times to see the good that He has promised us.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you, and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11.

The next time you have a hard time seeing the good in your bad situation, look to God and you will see the good.

Day 359 – On Christmas Day, we Trust in the Savior who was, and is, and is to come.

“And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.” Luke.2.21

He was in the beginning. He knew who He would be. He knew what we would do and what he’d have to do for us.

He is the baby in the manger, the boy teaching in the temple, and the man hanging on the cross for our sins.

He will come again, riding in on the clouds, ridding the earth of Satan once and for all.

Jesus, that is His name, the name He knew he’d be called on Earth. Before He became man, the Holy Spirit breathed the name Jesus in Mary’s womb.

Like Jesus, God knew us. He knew when we’d be born, who would bear us, and how long we’d be on earth. God provided us a way to know Him, to trust Him, to Trust in Him, and Be Saved, to Be With Him for all time in Eternity. All of this through that little baby, that little boy, that man on the cross 2000 years ago. Who knew? He knew and still knows you and me.

Day 358 – On Christmas Eve we remember to celebrate the Truth.

“And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told to them.” Luke.2.20

The shepherds, normal hardworking people like you and me, got to witness a miracle, the greatest miracle ever, our Savior being born. they didn’t turn from this miracle and forget what they just saw, they turned and declared to all the truth of which they witnessed.

Everyday, but today especially, we have the opportunity to declare to others: our family, friends, and neighbors, the truth of Christmas. And what is the truth?

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16.

We are fallen, we are sinful because of the Fall, but God sent His Son to be born as a baby in a lowly manger to be fully God and fully man, so that we can be saved. He desires all His creation to know Him, love Him, and be Saved by Him. But it takes those of us who Believe to share the Good News of Truth of which we Know.

Today, when you gather or when you go out, celebrate the truth in love of the miracle of Christmas.

Day 357 – On the 23rd Day of Christmas – Memories stored in your Heart are like Treasures in Heaven. Nothing can steal them and they will never rust or rot.

Luke 2:19 “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”

Mary had just witnessed a miracle happen through her own body, but the best part of this miracle was that she gave birth to her son. He was fully God and fully human, and she was able to connect with Him in the same way we connect with our own children.

Mary began storing up memories of Jesus from the time she gave birth to Him. Probably just cradling Him in her arms, looking down on each finger and toe, and remembering every kiss from an angel, every mark from God that was laid on His body. She knew her son because she treasured Him and every memory of Him. But Mary also knew that one day she would have to let her son go to do the work of the Father, and that would require Him leaving this earth and going to Heaven. So Mary took every opportunity to Treasure the time she had with her child because she was willing to let Him go.

Memories and moments with those we love are treasures we store in our heart. All the other stuff we gain is just that “Stuff”. It’s not meant to go with us. We need to be more like Mary and Treasure up memories in our heart, not store up things of this earth. The treasures in our heart will live forever, but the things of this earth will one day pass away.

Day 365 – On the 22nd Day of Christmas – Go tell it on the Mountains, that Jesus Christ is born!

Luke 2:17-18 “When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.”

The shepherds couldn’t contain the great news when they saw baby Jesus, they went out into all their surrounding towns and told of what they had seen.

Those of us who are believers must be like those shepherds and tell the world about the Love of Christ. We are like a light on a hill that shouldn’t be hidden. We need to do as the song says and Go Tell It on the Mountains, Over the Hills and Everywhere, Go Tell it on the Mountains that Jesus Christ is Born!

Don’t hide what you believe especially during Christmas, let everyone know the good news of our Savior’s birth.