“God will bring you to a flourishing
finish” (Philippians
1:6 MSG).
We all go
through disappointments, loss, or betrayal but
God never ends with a negative. It is natural to become discouraged, bitter, or
even angry at God and people. However, if we keep the right attitude and don’t
give up, He has promised to bring us to a flourishing finish.
The marathon
was the final event of the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. The stadium was
packed and the crowds erupted at the sight of the first athlete crossing the
finishing line.
Way back
behind everyone else, was John Stephen Akhwari of Tanzania, cramping up due to
the high altitude of the city. In the middle of the race, there was jockeying
for a position between some runners and he fell
to the ground injuring his knee and shoulder. However, he continued running. An
hour later, when Akhwari entered the stadium, all but a small crowd remained. Akhwari was the last among the 57 competitors of the 75 that started the race. When he was asked on the television camera why he continued running, he replied, “My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start the race; they sent me to finish the race.”
In the same way, we’re all sent to finish the race. At one time, you believed that you could do something great. You believed to be healthy. You believed to fall in love and live happily ever after. You believed that you could start a business. You believed that you would go on that mission trip. But life happened and you have been knocked down a few times. You have not seen the fulfillment of your dream yet. Don’t resign to your fate and believed the “never” lies.
Friend, just
like John Stephen Akhwari, God didn’t send you to planet earth to live a
mediocre, unfulfilled, and unfished race. He put you here for a purpose. He
didn’t create you to drag through life frustrated and unrewarded. He made you
in His own image. He put seeds of greatness in you. You’re born to do great
things. The sooner you embrace God’s plan, the faster you’ll begin to experience
the miracles happening all around you.
In the last
moments of Jesus’ life on earth, he needed his disciples to stand by Him. Yet,
Peter denied Jesus three times. It was the ultimate betrayal! Later, Peter felt
miserable. He abandoned the call of God and went back to fishing.
Today you
may be sitting on the sideline, living a life of regret. Your thoughts hijack
your mind thinking, “What could have been,
or should have been, if I hadn’t made those wrong choices.”
There’s good
news for you my friend. God knows all our faults and failures and yet, He loves
us unconditionally. He doesn’t give us what we deserve; He has a flourishing
finish waiting for us.
This is what
happened to Peter (John 21). After Jesus rose from the dead, He found Peter and
the other disciples fishing on the sea. They had
toiled all night and caught nothing. At the instruction of Jesus, they cast
their nets and they hauled the greatest catch. When Peter got to the shore,
Jesus met him. Instead of displeasure, rebuke, or disappointment, Jesus
restored Peter and invited him to a barbeque breakfast of fish and toast.
Today, you
may be down, defeated, and discouraged but don’t give up. Like Akhwari, you’re
sent to finish the race. No matter what your failure may have been, God waits
to welcome you back. He wants to restore you and make you twice as successful
as you’ve ever been. He wants to heal you. He wants to bring love into your
life. He wants to restore your losses and give you double for your trouble. There’s
a flourishing finish waiting for you. God will finish what He has started. Now
do your part. Like Peter, Jesus is calling, “Follow
me!” Will you? I know you will. I love you and I’m praying for you!
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