I press toward the goal

for the prize of the upward call of God

in Christ Jesus

Philippians 3:14

the subject for today is:

Straining towards the goal

Let us again open the Bible and read some from it

Today from: Luke 7:31-35 and Proverbs 8:1

Dear Friends,

The word used for "press" in Philippians 3:14 carries in the meaning of "strong exertion."  Every muscle of the runner is burning. He can see the ribbon. He has only a few more feet to go in the race. He must press on.

It is the same in our lives as Christians.

There are times when it just gets hard. But it is then that we learn what it means to walk by faith and not by feeling. You can’t live on an emotional high as a Christian. You must pace yourself in this race you are running. You can’t expect that every time you go to church, you will have some great emotional encounter with God. Sometimes you will. Sometimes you won’t. Growing up and learning to walk by faith are part of spiritual maturity.

When you first made a commitment to Christ, you discovered the joy and wonderful peace that comes from being forgiven.  But you must realize that this is a walk by faith.  You must press on even when it gets hard.

Maybe, as you have been running, you have found yourself in a place where you are dragging burdens, sins, or other things along. Maybe you find that you don’t even know why you are running the race anymore. Maybe you have become discouraged.

Look up and remember that it is Jesus whom you are running for.

Two thousand years ago, He loved you so much that He went to the cross and died there. He shed His blood for you. Then He rose again from the dead. Because He did that for you, you can live for Him today. He will give you the strength.

Share this good news with others!

Forward it to a friend who can be helped with it!

What our readers write:

No Time

Dear internet pastor,

Thank you for the messages you post. It is good to know that someone cares about my spiritual health. However I almost never get a chance to read them and they've become junk mail to me. So please stop sending me. I hope I haven’t offended you or anything.

No, I have taken your name from the list, and I’m not offended by it, but I think you hurt yourself with this. You say you have no time, but God gives you each day no less then 1440 minutes, and to use from that just 5 for Him is to much? Just think about it!

Thanks

Hi,

I find today's post about the comparison of Christian life with a marriage relationship really very precious. Thanks a lot - you are doing a great job.

Thank God, not me. I’m just doing what I feel I have to do. And when God allowed that my secular job was taken from me, He gave me the time to share His Word over the internet, which is now a still growing ministry reaching hundreds of thousands.

Yes let us thank GOD for this!

It helped me

... I also want to thank you very much for the Daily Bread that I get. I'm sure there're plenty of people that thanked you for that, but I have to let you know that I'm thankful too.

I think you have no idea how much that "bread" has helped me and how encouraging it is to see how far you can reach with that "bread"...  I thank God again for a wonderful person like you ... you're an inspiration through what you're doing ... stay blessed!

Maybe at the end of my life God will show me what the effect of this all has been. These days I receive more negative than  positive messages and it is encouraging to hear now and then that people did find help in these messages.

I just try to show you the way I myself have to go as well to reach the goal and I hope and pray that God will allow and enable me to continue to encourage and inspire.

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