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Be Tenacious!

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with patience the race marked out for us.
Hebrews 12:1

At the 19th mile of the Boston Marathon you come to ‘Heartbreak Hill’. Here, even world-class runners ‘hit the wall’. It’s the longest, steepest part of the race and by the time you reach it your muscles are screaming for oxygen. Even though the Bible says, “let us run with patience” we generally associate patience with inactivity and waiting. But there’s a kind that’s harder to acquire. It’s the patience that runs. It helps you persevere in the face of setbacks and gives you the tenacity to perform despite your heavy heart! It not only enabled Jesus to turn water into wine so that a wedding wasn’t ruined, to feed a hungry multitude in the desert, to heal a man blind from birth, but also to shoulder a burden He couldn’t share with anybody - that He was facing betrayal and death. At the 1968 Mexico City Olympics a solitary figure wearing the colors of Tanzania limped into the stadium. He was John Steven Aquari, and his leg was bandaged because of an earlier fall. He came in last. As he crossed the finish line a spectator shouted, ‘Why didn’t you just quit’’ With quiet dignity Aquari replied, “My country didn’t send me 7,000 miles to start this race, they sent me to finish it!” The great scientist, Louis Pasteur, said, “The secret that has always led me to my goal, lies solely in my tenacity.” Remember, God didn’t just send you to start this race, He sent you to finish it - and by His grace you will. So be tenacious!

Prayer
Heavenly Father – help me not only to run the race but to finish well. In Jesus’ Name, Amen