Finish strong (Day 26 of the #encourage marathon)

Welcome to the finish line! We made it to the end of our marathon!

I want to say a few special thank-you’s:

Thank you to MariJo from The Journey of a Million Miles for your great comments and tweets every single day of the marathon. It encouraged and inspired me!

Thank you Wally from Truth in Palmyra, Bruce from God’s Group, Vincent Artale from Talmidimblogging, Kathleen from My Daily Musing, and Lillian Clark from Praying for the Milennials for sharing these posts on your own blog with your readers.

Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to visit, read and comment. You encourage me to keep writing, even when I’m thinking about giving it all up.

I have two passages for today, one is on the list and the other I think is appropriate as a finisher.

By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible.

~ Hebrews 11.24-27, NKJV

Someday we will finish our race of life. It could be today.

I need to live today as though I will die tomorrow. I need to live for God with every breath and every thought.

Moses is one of many heroes of faith listed in Hebrews 11.

I take heart from imperfect people like Moses. If God chose a man like him, then there is hope for me also! He made excuses to God. He lost his temper. And he was the only man in history ever to break all 10 commandments at once (that’s a joke, by the way). He was in possession of many foibles, as we are, and yet here in Hebrews, the Holy Spirit inspired the writer to give him this glowing commendation.

The Hebrew writer points out three things Moses did well:

Moses walked by faith

“By faith Moses [did].” His choice to follow God’s commands were made in faith. He may have been trembling in his sandals (we know from his excuses that he had misgivings), but he chose to go anyway. True courage is facing the fight in spite of fear.

Moses chose to forsake the passing pleasures of sin

I chose the New King James Version today, because I love the way it phrases this sentence: “choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin.”

First, Moses chose to suffer. He had the world at his fingertips and he intentionally let it go. His fear of the Lord was greater than his fear of Pharaoh. Second, he saw the pleasures for what they were—passing, fleeting, temporary. Moses knew that God offered something far greater. Something eternal.

Moses endured as seeing Him who is invisible.

Isn’t that the same as walking by faith? Yes, but there is more to it than that.

Notice it says, “he endured as seeing.” When we fail to recognize the omniscience of God, we tend to slack off or dabble in sin. Because we can’t see God, we behave as though He can’t see us. We, like Moses, need to endure as if we can see God standing right next to us. Are you going to look at certain inappropriate things if you think God is sitting by you? Are you going to tell lies if you remember He is listening in? Are you going to give up if you can see His loving eyes beseeching you to hold on for His sake?

No.

Endure as though you can see God all around you.

If I have the opportunity to consciously utter my last words, this is what I’d like to say:

 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Henceforth there is laid up 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 loved his appearing. 

~ 2 Timothy 4.7-8, ESV

Finish strong, my friends. Do not succumb to the passing pleasures of this life. Everything in this life is passing, but the promises of God stand forever.

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Thank you all for joining me in this marathon. I hope you have been encouraged these past 26 days!

If you want to read the previous posts, click this link.