The Race Marked Out
Message from Rose
The concerns I have for my family, our future, and the future of our country are concerns that are shared by all women.
The world looks scary right now. Wars, rumors of wars, the economic crisis, crime, fentanyl killing our youth, and a national/global agenda that is in direct violation of God’s will for us. We had been relatively comfortable for a very long time. Things were going smoothly. If we wanted something - we bought it. If we wanted to travel somewhere, we did so - without fear. There was little concern beyond the normal day to day issues. But now we are seeing things that concern us deeply; inflation, brought about by wild government spending, the new alliances between Iran and Saudi Arabia, France telling China they have nothing to fear from them......and most troubling, the nightmare of the twentieth century has come true in the twenty first...Russia aligned with China. Add that to what our schools are attempting to teach our children and it seems the forces of evil are coming at us from all directions, but….
As scary as these things are - I believe it is no coincidence that we are here for this time. In Hebrews 12:1 we are told to “Run with perseverance the race marked out for us”. Notice “marked out” is past tense indicating that our course has already been determined. We are meant to look for, follow and run with perseverance, the race that God has already prepared for us. It is there waiting for us.
At times our race seems difficult to navigate. The temptation at times is to turn from looking ahead and instead allowing ourselves to be distracted by the storms that often come upon us. If our goal is to win the prize for which we run, then we must ignore the distractions and weather the times of doubt and fear.
During times of turmoil, I am reminded of an occasion in scripture when the disciples were in the middle of a lake and a violent storm came upon them. They saw Jesus walking on the water towards them;
Mathew 14:29: "Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?””
Peter doubted and began to sink the moment he turned to look at the distraction rather than keep his eyes on the Lord. Running our race requires great courage, clear vision, and no allowance for distractions. And many times - and this is the difficult part, the race will call us out of our comfort zone.
Queen Esther was a woman who had everything, wealth, beauty, and luxury. If she so desired, she could spend every night with her girlfriends drinking the best wine the kingdom could easily spare. It was a very comfortable life with no worries. Until it wasn’t. There came a time when that comfortable life was disrupted, and it became obvious to her that she had a choice to make.
The race that was marked out for her was made clear to her by her uncle Mordecai. When she understood that an entire nation was being threatened - the Jewish nation - her nation - she had to make a choice. We always have a choice. But, for Esther, the choice came with great risk. Not only did she risk relinquishing a life of comfort, but she would be required to go before her husband, the king, without an invitation to do so. To ask for an audience without an invitation could, in those times, result in death. She knew this well. And quite honestly, she wasn’t sure this was a risk she was willing to take. Today, to stand up for what we believe also comes with great risk. Risk of being labeled, ridiculed, or shunned. But Esther came to believe what we must soon realize; we are here for this time.
It was her uncle’s question during her time of hesitancy that sealed her fate and the fate of her nation; “How do you know that you are not here for such a time as this?”
That is my question for you; How do you know that you are not here for such a time as this? God has purposed for you to be here. Right now. For this time. And if we believe this, we also must believe that He will give us the courage to run that race He marked out for us. Even though He intended for you to be here, you have a choice. Will you step out of your comfort zone? Will you ignore the storms around you and stay focused on the one who has called you for this time?
Many have been in similar situations all throughout history. We are all familiar with the risks the disciples had to take to run their race, along with the saints and other great historic leaders. I’m reminded of the speech that John Witherspoon made during the deliberations leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Everyone in the room agreed that this act of declaring independence from a tyrant was the right thing to do. There was no dissension on that count. The idea that they should live free as God had created them to live was their fervent desire. But they knew that the freedom they wanted, and what was necessary to pursue it, came with great risk. Risks to their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. Historians tell us that there was a period inside that room of hesitancy. Who could blame them?
Reading the room, John Witherspoon, who among other things was a minister, stood up and made a passionate plea - much like Esther’s uncle Mordecai’s plea. He said that “there is a tide in the affairs of men, a nick of time. We perceive it now before us…” He cautioned them against hesitancy. Their very future and the future of those who came after them was at stake
Like Esther, John Witherspoon, and those who came after them, we must recognize the need to embrace the roles that we have been given. To run the race that has been marked out for us. President Ronald Reagan quoted scripture often in his speeches. In one speech he addressed the race marked out for us when he said:
“Let us be sure that those who come after, will say of us, that in our time we did everything that could be done. We finished the race; we kept them free; we kept the faith.”
Let it be said.