Watchman: Daily Devotional

The judge stood in full view of the runners in the ancient Olympic Games, bearing a crown of leaves for the winner to wear. If you were running in that race, you could see the judge holding your prize as you came around the curve. It was there in front of you. That was where you'd put your attention. You would not glance at the folks beside or behind you. You would concentrate and flee.

Similarly, we are in a race—the race of life. And as we near the end of our journey, we must look ahead and toward Jesus.

"Therefore, because we are surrounded by such a large number of witnesses to the life of faith, let us take off every weight that slows us down, particularly the sin that so readily trips us up," says Hebrews 12:1-2. And let us run the course that God has set before us with perseverance. We do this by focusing our attention on Jesus, the champion who begins and perfects our faith" (NLT).

We must shed any additional weight that may harm us or slow us down. The trick is to keep our gaze fixed on Jesus. Then we won't have to worry about the passage of time. We may look forward to it since it implies we are getting closer to seeing the Lord in eternal.

We shall be unhappy if we run the race for others. If we focus our attention on individuals, they may disappoint us. When we focus our attention on the outside world, it may both discourage and overwhelm us.

You'll make it if you keep your eyes on Jesus. Run the race in His honor. That is where you must begin and where you must finish.