Be a cheerleader

"And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19 NLT

To say that I was blessed to be able to join a group of ultrarunner friends for a 31 mile run Saturday would be an absolute understatement. What made it even better though was that we were all united in this run to support our friend, Tangel, who was attempting her first 'official' 50k after the one she had signed up for was canceled. And boy was I glad we could be there for her! Near the end of the race, the temperatures soared to nearly 100 degrees and it was getting harder for even the most experienced of ultrarunners in the group to stay motivated to press on. But press on we all did; sharing our supplies and our stories of encouragement as we cheered our friend on to the finish line. 

And you know, running long distances is hard... very hard. But as hard as distance running is, the Christian race is a thousand times harder. In fact, it’s so hard that you and I can't do it on our own. We just can't. We need fellow believers who will support, encourage and lift us up when we become weary and fatigued. That's why the Lord was so good to give us friends to help keep us on the right path and to keep us from giving up in our pursuit of reaching the final finish line. The apostle Paul, who changed the world with his testimony of faith and his example of what it meant to endure, certainly didn't do it alone either. He had friends that helped to supply his needs.

So if you have a group of friends that you can count on to lift you up and support you in your Christian walk, count yourself blessed. You will certainly need them, especially in these last days when it's becoming increasingly harder to stand for the Truth. But if you don't, I would highly encourage you to seek some out. They will, literally, make all the difference in whether you give up mid-race or press on to the finish line.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the promise that You will supply all our needs from your glorious riches that are beyond our imagination. Knowing that you use believers to supply those needs to others, please empower and equip us to be the vessels that bring encouragement to our brothers and sisters. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen.

Happy Running!!!

Cheer you on - Jordan Feliz