Day 15: Pressing On
Philippians 3:14
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
I am reminded of the great movie Secretariat that was in the theaters over a year ago. In the final stretch at the Belmont Stakes, Secretariat pulled away from the others to create a record breaking distance from his nearest contender. What a great scene as everyone’s face showed their disbelief as Secretariat did what no other horse had ever done and what some thought was impossible. Some believe that Secretariat knew how important it was to win that race and was showing the world his great strength and endurance.
We are in the final stretch of our twenty one day fast and it’s time to turn on the heat and leave behind those “contenders of our souls”. You may not think you have the endurance or the strength to finally let go of those things that have hindered your walk with God, but deep inside of you there is a reservoir of power that has been placed within you by the Holy Spirit and this power will explode in your inner man as you make the final turn toward your goal.
We can learn a few things from this true story. First Secretariat had an owner who believed in him. You too have an owner who has fully invested Himself to show you how much He values and believes in you. That owner is God and He sent His Son to reclaim you for His own and His Spirit to empower you for the race. (John 3:16; Acts 1:8).
Secondly, Secretariat was focused on the prize, the Triple Crown. During a race, a horse will wear side blinders to prevent him from becoming distracted and scared. You too must put on your spiritual blinders to keep your hearts and minds focused on acquiring the prize at the end of the final stretch.
Lastly, Secretariat had a competent guide, his jockey Ron Turcotte. You have been given the Holy Spirit as your Counselor and Guide to lead you victoriously to the finish line. So, continue on and press in during this final stretch, knowing you will receive the great prize awaiting you. And, don’t forget you have your crowd in the stands as well. Hebrews 12:1 tells us there is a great cloud of witnesses pulling for you. These are the ones who have run their race ahead of you and who know it can be done and they are cheering you on from their seats above. RUN YOUR RACE!
