«Those who hope in the Lord . . will run and not grow weary» (Isaiah 40:31, NW).
CUBAN-AMERICAN ROSIE RUIZ «won» the Boston Marathon in 1980 in a record of two hours, thirty-one minutes, and fifty-six seconds. There was great rejoicing over Rosie’s victory. However, a few days later, questions started to emerge: Who knows her as a runner? If she is an athlete, why don’t her legs reflect the hard work that precedes a marathon? Why does she appear only at the end of the race?
In his book Run with the Horses, Eugene H. Peterson describes how these doubts prompted an in-depth post-race investigation, which revealed Rosie Ruiz was nothing more than an impostor, who had entered the race when there was less than a mile left to the finish line.
In several passages, the Bible describes the Christian experience as a race. One of those passages is found in the Epistle to the Hebrews, which states: «Let us run with patience the race that is set before us» (Hebrews 12:1, ASV). Doesn’t running with patience seem like a contradiction? However, Paul is not talking here about the virtue of knowing how to wait, but rather about the patience that leads us to persevere, to stand firm when circumstances seem completely unfavorable. The «perseverance» that comes after tribulation and produces a sense of hope in us (see Romans 5:3, 4) is the one that leads us to hope «for what we do not see» (Romans 8:25), the one we need in order to receive what God «has promised» (Hebrews 10:36, NIV).
There are no shortcuts in the Christian race; there’s no way we can show up at the end and claim the prize without having taken part in it. Only those who have run with endurance will reach the finish line in the race of faith.
We must acknowledge that the race is hard and challenging, often passing through paths that are narrow and barren, and we might be tempted to give up more than once. But when we feel like quitting, let’s strengthen ourselves with this promise: «He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. . . . But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint» (Isaiah 40:29, 31, NIV).
With such power available to us, we will soon be able to say, «I have finished the race» (2 Timothy 4:7).
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Taken from: Devotional Readings for Adults 2023
“I AM WITH YOU”
From: J. VLADIMIR POLANCO
Collaborators: Lorina Maya & Angelica Cuate
