daily bible readings

After all the difficult twists Lolo Jones’s life had already taken, the last two hurdles in the Beijing Olympic final seemed like flimsy barriers to overcome. Jones, whose itinerant childhood included a stretch when her family was homeless, seemed so close to a triumphant moment, leading the 100-meter hurdles with just two hurdles to go. But the hurdles can be a cruel event, and when Jones’s foot clipped the ninth hurdle, it threw off her stride. This mistake  allowed six other women in the race to power past her. In a fraction of a second, she went from what looked like sure victory to sheer agony. Often it’s about finishing well.

While we see that Jehoshaphat repented and sought the Lord, the postscript added in chapter 20 shows that his reign was not without transgression and sinfulness. Later in life, he repeated some of the sins of his earlier life and brought judgement and calamity upon himself and his people. He did not finish as well as he could have.

The Christian life is also about finishing well. Paul models this for us in 2 Timothy 4:7, when he says, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we need to stay close to God. We need to abide in Jesus for the entire journey of our life. Scripture encourages nothing less than this.

Read the following verses and be encouraged and emboldened to finish well.

John 15:7 (NIV84)

If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.

Hebrews 12:1 (NIV84)

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

1 Corinthians 9:24 (NIV84)

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

Philippians 3:14 (NIV84)

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Hebrews 6:11 (NIV84)

We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure.

What strategies and boundaries are you putting into your life so that you finish well? What are you doing to ensure that you do fight the good fight and finish the race without tripping over the hurdles on the last leg of the race? How are you preparing yourself now to finish the faith-race well?

Prayer:

Adoration:

• Adore God that He strengthens us and keeps us to the very end.
• Adore God that He will finish the work that He started in us at our regeneration and conversion.

Confession:

• Take time to confess your sins to the Lord and to ask for forgiveness

Thanks:

• Thank Jesus that He will never let you go and will present you faultless before the throne of God Almighty on the day of judgement.
• Thank God that he has given you everything you need to live a godly life in Christ Jesus.

Discussion Questions:

1. Why do you think the Chronicler added the final postscript about Jehoshaphat’s sin?
2. What is the relationship between our role in finishing well and the Lord’s role in upholding us throughout our entire life as in Phil 1:6?