June 24, 2018
Doing the Dailies
We All Need a Champion…
“…And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.” Hebrews 12:1-2
I truly believe that our hearts beat for a champion, the One who is the leader, the author, the captain, the prince, the victor in our lives. Because of who He is, we do have a Champion, Jesus! He has given each one of us an assignment, a job description and, He has given us time, He calls it life…time to do our jobs, to finish the race He sets before us. Oh yes, my friends, We All Need a Champion…
In July of 1979, Bill and I knew our new marriage was a gift and it was also an assignment from our God. We knew we needed a plan, a picture of what our life together should be. We yearned to know what the finish line looked like, we wanted to see how to get there, how to run and to not give up, what to do if-when we stumbled…We had to determine from the starting line where we were going and where we would look for HELP… You see, in the most literal sense, We Needed a Champion. And the truth is, we still do!
Thirty-nine years ago, Bill and I left the starting line together to run in the race…to do the assignment we believed God had given to us in our marriage. We desired more than anything to do things God’s Way…The race continued as we began our family with our son and then our daughter. For our beautiful family, we wanted to do our job and our assignment; we wanted to do every part of it God’s Way…This may be your story too. But oh my, We Needed a Champion!
I believe one of the greatest challenges for believers is to learn to look and to see beyond their current circumstances and past mistakes. I struggled with this as a child, a teen, and a young adult, and had absolutely no idea how to change my perspective…to see beyond my personal limitations and the current status of my life. I can remember times when an event or a worry or trouble, or condition felt like sea weed swirling around my ankles…or deep sticky sand or mud, thick and gripping, or choppy waves pounding at my knees, and of course those walls of crashing waves which sometimes force their way inside our lives… I suspect you know exactly what I am talking about, and honestly, these circumstances sneak up on all of us, no matter what age or stage we find ourselves…have I mentioned? We All Need a Champion.
“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1-2
We may know about God, we know some of what the Bible says about Him and His Ways, but knowledge alone, while incredible and the beginning, is not what establishes and maintains an intimate relationship with Him. We can travel up to the mountain-top experience with Him, but until we realize the LORD, also wants to accompany us down the mountain into our everyday lives, and yearns to be our Champion, only then, are we able to trust, to depend on Him to be our Hope, our Confidence, the Truth, and our Champion, every day, in every way.
Cast Your Vision
When we stop, and look above and beyond those annoying or crashing moments, and fix our eyes and our hearts-when we Cast our Vision on the Help and the Hope of our LORD, we are able to see beyond the present, far-far from where we are at the moment. He shows us, step-by-step, where we are going and how to take His assignment and run with it to the place, and the purpose He has for each one of us, to the people He has given to us, family, friends, work associates, acquaintances, even strangers…We all need a Champion.
My friends, there is no explanation to this truth; it is one of His Miraculous Ways. When we lift up our eyes to look- to gaze at our Jesus, our hearts cannot help but follow. Jesus Christ, is the one who initiates and perfects the faith of those who fix, attach their eyes, who take time to look, to listen, to ponder, to taste, to adore, to do life with the One who is their Champion…your Champion.
There are many mountains to climb-many miles to run in this race to which God has assigned us-our job description. In fact, it is a process, a journey, a marathon, a lifetime. And all of the many mess-ups and mistakes Bill and I have made, or the few that you have made, never ever, ever, can or will change the truth of who your Champion is and His desire for you! The One who is your Help, the One who begins and perfects your confidence, trust, and faith in Him, in Jesus Christ, the Lord. Fix your eyes…Fix your heart on Him, daily.
We Have a Champion…You Have a Champion!
You see, this is the way-the only way Bill and I could look and see beyond our daily circumstances, and our past mistakes, to know where we were going, and how we would get there…to live our lives, and raise our precious ones God’s Way. We are still running…maybe a little slower, but I think that gives us more time to look and to see… And, we are still making mistakes, but we want to keep doing our assignment for our beautiful children and grands, our church, all of our wonderful friends, family, and for our faithful God.
This summer, as you Do Your Dailies, I pray for you. Fix your eyes and your heart on Jesus and enjoy the Presence of your Champion as you run your race, climb the mountains, and then, back down again to finish your assignment. Summer Blessings…
Love you in Jesus,
