When Gideon came to the Jordan, he and the three hundred men who were with him crossed over, exhausted but still in pursuit. —
Judges 8:4
In October 1968, an hour after the Olympic marathon ended in Mexico City, a lone Tanzanian runner emerged limping with a bandaged leg as he mustered the endurance to cross the line. His name was John Stephen Akhwari. Akhwari fell badly and dislocated his knee at the 19th km point of the 42 km race. Considering the severity of his injuries and bleeding, he was repeatedly asked to quit the race but he refused. At the finishing line, he received a huge applause. His body was exhausted but not his spirit. When asked later why he continued running, he simply said, “My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start the race; they sent me 5,000 miles to finish the race.”Judges 8:4
Gideon and his army came to the Jordan totally exhausted but they crossed the river and continued pursuing the Midianite kings. Quitting was not an option. We often get exhausted from life’s battles and our wounds or hurts. We sometimes lose direction or get wearied by delayed expectations. How do we stay in the race and finish it? Hebrews 10:36 says, “For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:”
We need three things to keep pursuing. We first need STAMINA, which is the ability to go the distance. We need STEADINESS, which is to be firm and focused. We finally need STRENGTH, which is the power to move things. That is what it takes. In Judges 8:11, Gideon finally overtook the two kings of Midian and routed their armies. As you persist in pursuing your dreams, you will eventually prevail.
Prayer:
Father, grant me the endurance to persist and never give up.Scripture Reading:
Judges 8:4-12
YearOfExcellence
