04/02/26 79 TIMES AROUND...
79 times around the track and starting my 80th lap, but my adjusted goal now is 85 laps. If (or when) I reach the 84th lap, I hope to readjust my goal to 88 or 90 laps. God has a plan, but I want to be ready for what He has in mind.
The Christian life is referred to as walking, running, following, continuing, growing, and fighting. It is also waiting, resting, trusting, remaining, holding on, and standing. The Christian life includes BEING and DOING. Jesus set the standard; He went about doing good. Sadly, most folks just go about... The Biblical standard for SUCCESS is FAITHFULNESS.
God never leads us into a situation that will be greater than His grace. He never leaves or abandons or forsakes us. He has also promised to go with us to the end of the age, and to give us everything we need for life and godliness, and to make us more than conquerors, and to always lead us in triumph and lead us in the way we should go.
We may not know where He is leading or why He is leading in a certain direction or what trials we will face, but we know that God does all things well. We know that He provides grace abounding to His children; He gives joy unspeakable and full of glory; He gives peace that passes understanding: He gives love, love abounding, perfect love; He is the giver of every good and perfect gift; it is the Father's good pleasure to give us the kingdom.
We may fail of the grace of God, we may resist or reject His mercy, kindness, blessing, grace, but God is faithful, and Jesus never fails; heaven and earth will pass away, but Jesus never fails. He not only continues to love us when we fail, but He calls us to return to Him, and He will reconcile and restore us.
Sometimes I have faltered along the way, but Jesus was there, offering His grace, forgiveness, cleansing, renewal, strength, encouragement, and deliverance. And, NO, I don't focus on my failures. When I have fallen, He was there, providing restoration, hope and faith. He was there all the time. Then, by His grace, I was able to trust Him, and He lifted me out of my deep miry clay. By faith, my focus returned to Jesus. My failures were not my blessings, but His grace was always greater than my sin. Jesus told us to let others see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven; therefore, we turn our eyes upon Jesus, and we seek Him with our whole heart. Recognizing our sin does not mean we continue in our sin. We turn from darkness to light, death to life, from the dominion of the devil to the deliverance of the Lord.
Paul said some fitting words about his own response to the call of God in his life. We can learn from it.
2 Timothy 4:1-8 (vss, 7-8)
1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.
7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
LIVE AND DIE
Here are a few verses I found today that address the way we should view life and death.
Job 14:14
14 If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.
Psalms 118:17
17 I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD.
Romans 8:12-14
12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Romans 14:7-9
7 For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.
8 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.
9 For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.
2 Corinthians 7:2-3
2 Receive us; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man.
3 I speak not this to condemn you: for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you.
Philippians 1:18-23
18 What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.
19 For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
20 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.
21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
22 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.
23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:
