We’ve faced ups and downs throughout the year but no matter how we ran the race, we know the race is not given to the fastest but to the one that doesn’t quit. Your incremental outcomes during the year matters far less than where you end up, so finish strong!

In the Beginning

We’re in December, nearly at the end of the year. It’s time for some reflection.

At the beginning of the year many people of faith ended their New Year’s services with a church focus of some inspired endeavor for the year. On the personal front, we may have made some explicit (spoken) or at the very least implicit (unspoken) goals for ourselves.

Now, nearing the end of the year, it can be said for the most part, things did not go as planned. There’s been some upsets.

Darkness Covered the Deep

COVID-19 showed up. It reeked such havoc and death so much so that the deaths to date exceeds the death toll of American soldiers in WWI.¹

Then there was the civil unrest following George Floyd’s demise unveiling again the racial divide in America.

We’ve suffered deaths of family members and close friends, loss of jobs and personal property. In addition, personal health issues were discovered while existing health issues magnified.

The political climate during the presidential election has been like no other in the history of America. Its folly breeding uncertainty on all fronts, nationally and globally leaving us with an uneasiness of this nation’s direction.

As we survey our personal lives the list continues. We reflect on the things we said, the things we should have said, and the things we said and shouldn’t have. Then there are the decisions we made, the actions we took and the action we didn’t take and perhaps should have.

Inaction is an action and indecision is a decision. And silence on a matter speaks loudly.

And God said Let There Be Light

When we look back over the year, we conclude…we need a miracle. A miracle of humility to move in the hearts of God’s people, not all people, but God’s people. That’s all it takes. If we allow humility to rule in the Christian heart our land will be healed.

2 Chronicles 7:14

 If my people will humble themselves and pray, and search for me, and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear them from heaven and forgive their sins and heal their land.

You may say, ‘I have not sinned! I am not wicked!’ Admit it, even if only to yourself and God, that this year has brought out some feelings in you that is not exactly what can be labeled as a fruit of the Holy Spirit. This year has turned us all inside out showing us (and others) what we were harboring in our private closets.

Fear, Anger, Bitterness, Faithlessness, Unforgiveness, Hatred, Revenge….

We need a miracle of the heart. I am reminded of the  song Never Lost²

Miracles when You move
Such an easy thing for You to do
Your hand is moving right now
You are still showing up
At the tomb of every Lazarus
Your voice is calling me out

Right now, I know You’re able
My God, come through again

You can do all things
You can do all things but fail
‘Cause You’ve never lost a battle
No, You’ve never lost a battle
And I know, I know You never will

Everything’s possible
By the power of the Holy Ghost
A new wind is blowing right now

Breaking my heart of stone

Taking over like it’s Jericho
And my walls are all crashing down

Lord! Break down the strongholds of disease and dis-ease, uncertainty, and grief!

You’ve never lost a battle

And I know, I know You never will!

 

And Then There was Light

In spite of it all, we still carry the flag of Victory.

If you had not known fear you would not have recognized deliverance when it came.

In the Battle of 2020, when our frontline forces wore down, God sent reserve forces. These forces may not have looked like or come in the form you expected.

O God, give us eyes to discern and accept the deliverance you send!

Why does He send it?

Isaiah 43:4

Because you are precious in My sight and honored, and because I love you, I will give men in return for you and peoples in exchange for your life.

When you are about to lose your mind, give up, check out or feel your life was stolen and very few things resemble the life you wanted to live, God will commission people to step into your life like Aaron and Hur did for Moses on the battlefield.

Exodus 17:8-12

⁸ Then came Amalek [descendants of Esau] and fought with Israel at Rephidim.

⁹ And Moses said to Joshua, Choose us out men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.

¹⁰ So Joshua did as Moses said and fought with Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the hilltop.

¹¹ When Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed; and when he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed.

¹² But Moses’ hands were heavy and grew weary. So [the other men] took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Then Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side and one on the other side; so his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.

Aaron and Hur were inconvenienced. Whatever they perceived their duties were during the battle it was put on HOLD until Moses got what he needed to make it through.

God will put someone else’s life on pause to position them to come to your rescue!

Why?

Because you are precious in His sight and honored, and because He loves you, He will give men in return for you and people in exchange for your life!

And It was Good

Yes reflect. Reflect on the victories that God has given you knowing He will never leave nor forsake you. Know that He can do all things but fail. We may wear the sweat of the battle but we walk out of this year not with the white flag of surrender or defeat but with the flag of glorious Victory.

We acknowledge there have been losses. There will always be losses in battles. But victory is not measured by our losses, it is measured by finishing strong.

I want to end with a provoking thought I heard in a message after I had constructed this writing. The message was entitled “Finish with Favor”³ taken from Luke 4:22

²²All who were there spoke well of him [Jesus] and were amazed by the beautiful words that fell from his lips. “How can this be?” they asked. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”

The people in this passage were ready to receive the favor of Jesus’ words until they negated the impact of the Gift standing in front of them by saying ‘it is only Jesus, Joseph’ s son.’ That is to say, ‘we know him, no big deal.’

Then the question was asked,

‘Is familiarity an enemy of favor?’

When God sends you help, reinforcements, deliverance…recognize don’t criticize. Don’t question, don’t challenge or throw away your Aaron and Hur because it comes packaged in a familiar form.

Losing your preconceived notions may bring the deliverance for which you’ve prayed.

Finally, know that…
He can do all things but fail
‘Cause He’s never lost a battle
No, He’s never lost a battle
And He never will!

We’re on the precipice of a New Year so,

Finish Strong!

 

 

Sources

¹https://elemental.medium.com/us-covid-19-de-compared-to-diseases-pandemics-wars-2a7495a43280aths

²Source: LyricFind. “Never Lost”. Songwriters: Christopher Joel Brown / Steven Furtick / Tiffany Hamme

³Finish with Favor, (December 6, 2020) Pastor Steven Furtick, Elevation Church.