Hurdling Through... in His Word 6-15-15

Hurdling through...-  in His Word 6-15-15



But 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
While working on a project that requires many people and is set to produce a furtherance of the kingdom, as with any ministry event, problems will arise.
It may seem at times that the hurdles we have to fly over are way too high and that many things are preventing us from reaching the finish line; but God has a plan.

For I know the plans I have for you… Jeremiah 29:11 tells us. He does indeed have a plan, and I am quite certain that I do not always know just what God’s plan is in a situate even as I live through it. Step by step I walk through the process of planning, setting up and executing the event and yet there always seems to be one trial or another to overcome during the process.

At times it may seem as if it will just not happen. I often feel as if I will fail before I get things off the ground and yet … He knows the plans He has for me. A wise young man ones spoke about a mission trip focusing on the fact that as troubles came they looked at it with the focus of “What’s God going to do with this?”. I like that! No, I love it! 

 For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake. And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe.1 Thessalonians 1:5-7

Throughout the Old and the New Testament in the Word we see God doing amazing things in the midst of desperate situations. I am amazed each time I read about how he provided mana from heaven for the people of Israel, and how He came through for Esther and saved His people, her people, from obliteration. I have to ask myself if God can do this, save these people; then God can bring about the event in the way that He chooses to do so. After all, it’s not about me!

 Our jobs are to press on, to complete the race and then to obtain the prize of eternal life. We like to scale it down from project to project, and that is okay but it truly is about the big picture; its not about my view of things but His great and grand view and purpose.

While writing and producing Vacation Bible School’s for the summer we have a large number of objectives that take a full year of planning; ideas, scriptures, storylines, people to help, act and teach; these are only a few but they are all hurdles to run over. Sometimes it seems as if the closer we come to the production part the higher and wider the hurdle becomes; but God is with us in our race.

As a young teen I ran hurdles a couple times in track meets.  I did not finish first by a long shot but I did complete the race each time. I have short legs and this was a great feat to attempt and so to me staying on my two feet to the end of the race was enough.

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,  knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.  But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.  For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;  he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.James 1:2-8

Often I think that life is like this; we do not have to be first to win the prize we just need to complete the race on our feet! We need to do our best but if our best is not better than the rest it does not matter as long as it is good enough for God to see we have done our personal best. God requires this of us, that we do our utmost for His utmost is in us. The only way to do that is to work the job knowing that He is in it, for if God is for us no one can stand against us. (Romans 8)

The Holy Spirit, the one that guided us to salvation, is with us every step of our Christian walk to direct our paths. (Proverbs 3:5-7) We must keep running until we reach the end of the path. We must stay on the path so that we do not run into another runner or trip them up by hitting their hurdles with our floppy feet.
It is a matter of progressing forward on the path that God has set before us and not tripping up on the way. In order to do this we must trust that we will stay on the path; keep our eyes on His direction and He will direct our paths.
Sure occasionally we may knock our hurdle with the toe of the back foot in crossing but we cannot stop there and reset the hurdle we must continue to run forward! We must continue to fight the fight, to push on, to run the hurdles in front of us and keep on running until we reach the finish line.
But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. Acts 20:24

We are all running the race; we shall all be changed in the running.  Of this I am sure that we will all run, but some will stumble and fall while others continue to stay upright flying over the situations that arise in front of them. I plan to keep my eyes on Jesus as I run and know that He will direct my path and to remain in the joy of the Lord; for the joy of the Lord is my strength.  

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,   I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you.  Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.Philippians 3:12-16
Dear Heavenly Father, Help us to run with joy unspeakable and strength unbelievable as we hurdle through this weeks trails and troubles. Grant us your peace in the midst of things and keep our eyes heavenward. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Suggested Readings: Philemon 1:1-25, Philippians 3:1-21, Acts 20:1-38