Press on to the end

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." 2 Timothy 4:7-8 NIV

To say that the annual Dogwood Canyon trail run held near Branson, MO is challenging would be an understatement. But what's even more challenging than completing any one of the distances offered (15k, 25k or 50k) is the Dogwood Challenge that requires runners to complete the 25k or 50k on Saturday and the 15k on Sunday; something that runners must do with aching cores, sore feet and screaming quads. As one of those runners who participated in the challenge over the weekend, you can just imagine the joy that filled my heart as I neared the finish line on the second day and heard the echo of the announcer through the woods calling out the name of every person as they were crossing it just a short distance away. "Keep going," I said to myself as I hurried towards the last hill that led down to the end. "You'll soon hear your name too and reap the reward for your hard work." 

And you know, there's a reason why Paul repeatedly compared the Christian walk to a long-distance race; they're both very painful at times, they both require great effort, discipline, sacrifice and consistency to complete, and there is no reward for the person who gives up before crossing the finish line. Which is the exact reason Paul, when nearing the end of his race said, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me a crown of righteousness..." He knew he was almost done and if he kept going until the end, he would hear his name called and receive a reward for his hard work. But not just him, "but also to all who have longed for his appearing." 

So if you find yourself tempted to drop out of the race today because it's just too hard, don't do it my friend! Listen for the Announcer's voice as you dig deep and press on to the finish line knowing that the pain, work, toil and labor it takes to reach it will be worth it in the end. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that our short term pain and sacrifice will be nothing compared to the eternal rewards we will receive if we will just keep running the race despite the obstacles and trials in our path. Give us the strength Lord to keep putting one foot in front of the other until we reach the end and hear our Savior call our name and welcome us home. It's in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!!!

Almost Home - MercyMe