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Greg Laurie Daily Devotion - June 25, 2009

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Our Reason for Running

And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us.
—Hebrews 12:1

When I was in high school, I was in track and field. I always noticed that I ran faster when a pretty girl was watching me, because I wanted to impress the pretty girl.

But there is a better motivation than that for running this race of life. The Lord Jesus is watching us. Hebrews 12:1–2 says, “Let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish.”

That is what will keep you going. You have to keep following the Lord, even if your friends aren’t there with you. As the song “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus” says, “Though none go with me, still I will follow.”

We all know that people do turn away from the Lord. But if you are living this Christian life because of what people have to say about it, then you are not going to make it.

People will let you down. People will disappoint you. Circumstances are going to be hard. You should do this because you love Jesus.

When you face all of the garbage out there, remember that it is the Lord Jesus Christ you are running for. That is the reason you should be running this race.”

Is this why you are running it right now? When you are maintaining a love relationship with Jesus Christ, you will see this world for what it really is—empty, futile, and meaningless. On the other hand, if you are just giving it your bare minimum, then you are not going to make it.

So let’s make every day of this spiritual race count.

Copyright © 2009 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved. 

For more relevant and biblical teaching from Pastor Greg Laurie, go to www.harvest.org
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