Press On…
Philippians 3:I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
What an excellent scripture verse from a man who had lived the life and completed the course. The course isn’t always what we planned on, but we “press on!” I was a member of a Saddle club when I lived in Missouri, and we would do some significant trail rides with our horses. On one particular ride, the leader of the ride warned us that the ride was going to be long and tiring. i wasn’t even listening to that well to what he was saying and so I missed the warning of a long ride. Most of our trail rides were no more than 5 or 6 miles, so I was planning on that ride. To my surprise, our trial ride went on and on and on. Two of my friends who also were on the ride were asking “When is this ride going to end?”
The ride continued on and I began to wonder the same thing as them and began hoping that around every bend in the trail we would see the destination. One of my friends decided to stop and rest for awhile and the leader saw him and said “You need to keep going or you will stiffen up and it will be hard to get going again.” We keep going and the leader sensing our displeasure yelled back “It’s just around the next bend” to which we all perked up and “pressed on!” The tiredness we were feeling soon melted when we could see the end of the trail and newly formed vigor put a “pep in our step!”
At the end of the trail ride, we could smell the hamburgers and hotdogs cooking, and boy, it was great to get to eat that food and rest our weary backsides. The leader saw how satisfied we were as we ate our meal and he sauntered over and said, “You guys did real good, and I bet you didn’t think you could last on a fifteen mile trail ride did you?” I yelled “Fifteen miles?” I missed the fifteen mile part at the beginning of the trail ride, but unknowingly had accomplished more than I thought possible because we kept on pressing on.
In our daily walk as believers, we look forward, as scripture tells us to, to the coming of Jesus Christ. We read prophecies and try to figure out when He is coming, knowing that the Bible says no one knows the hour when He will return. The time is longer than we thought for His return, but we keep on pressing on, knowing that the end of our spiritual trail ride will end in glory! What we don’t know is tough at times, because we just believe, and keep moving forward on this spiritual trail ride. Some of us may have missed the part where scripture says it is a long ride, but the end is worth it. Paul told his son in the faith in 1 Timothy 6:12 to “keep the faith” and in verse 12 it says 12 Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses. In other words, keep moving forward and you won’t regret it. No hamburgers at the end, but much more.
2 Chronicles 15:7 But as for you, be strong and courageous, for your work will be rewarded.” We may get tired from time to time and we may wish the ride was over, but keep pressing on and pressing forward. This life at times can get tedious and we may lose faith, but “keep the faith” and keep on pressing on. Paul said this is in Philippians to affirm those he was told to press on. Philippians 3:1 Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith.
The Pilgrimage Continues…..
David Warren