Psalms: Window to Our Souls, Part 2Sample

If I'm honest with myself, my entire being groans in agony at God's depictions of the faith journey. Pilgrimage? Race? Endurance? That sounds exhausting and unappealing. What I want is a quick one-time fix, an instant transformation so I don't have to go through the grueling, monotonous, and slow process of growth God has in store for me.

So how do I choose to continue onward on a road that goes against the grain of my human nature?

The first motivating factor in the passage is the great cloud of witnesses surrounding us. The stories of Biblical characters, the rich church history of individuals who dedicated their lives to Christ, and our immediate community of believers are all participants and our helpers. They encourage us to repent of our sins, lay down our burdens to Christ, and continue to move forward in the race.

Most importantly, we need to run the race looking toward Jesus and His example. Just like Jesus, we look ahead to the joy of being with God in order to face the obstacles ahead with hope.