let me run the race of time:

...with Your heart enfolding mine. And let the peace of God, let it reign.

Acts 20:24 (NIV) says: However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me-the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.

In this verse, Paul uses the analogy of a runner in a race or marathon to remind us of the race of life we are in; a race we must run to win. We can choose to run this race, chasing after the heart of God... or we can choose to settle for a mediocre jog. 1 Corinthians 9:24 reminds us that everyone runs in a race, but "only one person gets the prize". We must run the race of life with the desire to win, not to finish in second or third.

And though we want to finish in first place, it is important for us to remember that the other runners, or our "opponents", are not fellow Christians; these opponents are of the world, the flesh, and the devil.

I read in Live Fearlessly tonight an interesting sentence: When we walk by faith, we walk on impossibilities. We walk, or run, among sin - it is all around us. We are surrounded by it. But we know that God will never give us more than we can handle - and when we are tempted, he will always provide us with a way so we can stand up underneath it (1 Corinthians 10:13).

My God is stronger than sin. My God is stronger than any circumstance. My God is stronger than the devil himself. My God deserves followers that will RUN for him.