Running without growing weary
Good morning brethren, I would like to share a brief exhortation on the topic “Running without growing weary.” Our anchor Scripture is Isaiah 40:31 “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” The Bible often describes the Christian journey as a race. The Apostle Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:7 “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” This reminds us that our calling as believers is not merely to start well, but also to finish well. There are different seasons in our Christian journey. There are exciting seasons filled with testimonies, victories, breakthroughs, and answered prayers. Unfortunately, there can also be seasons when we become tired, discouraged, disappointed, or overwhelmed. At such times, we may begin to ask ourselves questions such as, “How long can I continue like this?” or “When will things change? Isaiah 40:31 encourages us that we can run without growing weary. This does not mean that we will never experience difficulties or moments of weakness. Rather, it means that God can continually renew our strength so that our physical, emotional, spiritual, and circumstantial challenges do not cause us to abandon the race. Hebrews 12:1–2 says “Let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.” Our Christian journey is a personal race, it is your assignment, your calling, your journey, and your pace. It is not a race against other people. What matters is that we continue faithfully until the end. Sadly, some believers start with great excitement but stop when difficulties come. Others may begin slowly, but through faith, patience, and perseverance, they finish strongly. My prayer is that you will not abandon your race because of challenges, in Jesus name.
The enemy would like us to quit before our harvest arrives, but God forbid. Galatians 6:9 says “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” As human beings, we can become weary. We see this in the life of Elijah, after he confronted the prophets of Baal and experienced a great victory on Mount Carmel, he became discouraged and afraid. 1 Kings 19:4 says “But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness… and he requested for himself that he might die.” What is remarkable is that God did not condemn Elijah for becoming weary. Instead, God provided him with food, allowed him to rest, renewed his strength, and eventually gave him fresh direction. There is an important lesson here, when you become weary, do not run away from God; run towards God. Biblical waiting on God involves trusting Him, studying His Word, praying, remaining obedient, refusing to give up, and believing that God’s timing is the best. Psalm 55:22 says “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee.” When you are carrying a burden, take it to God. When you are discouraged, take it to God. When you are tired, take it to God. Hebrews 12:2 tells us to be “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith…” What we focus on can influence how we finish our race. If we continually focus on our problems, our circumstances, our failures, or the things that have gone wrong, we can easily become discouraged. Therefore, we must be deliberate about keeping our eyes on Jesus. Look at Jesus, not just at the difficulty, look at the promise, not just at the problem, look at the destination, not just at the present struggle. God’s Word gives us strength and direction, Psalm 119:105 says “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” God’s Word gives us direction, encouragement, correction, hope, wisdom, and strength. When our feelings say, “Stop,” God’s Word can give us the strength to continue. When circumstances say, “It is impossible,” God’s Word reminds us of what God can do. Therefore, we must not neglect the Word of God. It is also important to remember that we were not designed to run this Christian race alone, we need to surround ourselves with the right people, especially fellow believers. Ecclesiastes 4:9–10 says “Two are better than one… For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow.” There will be moments when you are strong enough to encourage someone else, and there will also be moments when you need someone to encourage you. Choose relationships that strengthen your faith—people who will pray with you, encourage you, correct you when necessary, remind you of God’s promises, and help you remain accountable. We see a beautiful example in Exodus 17:10–12, where Aaron and Hur supported Moses’ hands when he became physically tired while Israel was fighting Amalek. Please note this needing help does not mean you are weak, sometimes, God strengthens us through other people. While running your race, never compare yourself with someone else, because comparison is one of the quickest ways to become weary. You may look at someone else’s life and ask Why are they progressing faster than me? Why did they receive their breakthrough before me? Why does their life appear easier than mine? But God did not call you to run someone else’s race. Your responsibility is not to compete with another person’s calling. Your responsibility is to follow Jesus faithfully. Someone else’s testimony does not mean that God has forgotten you, run your race, keep your eyes on Jesus and remain faithful. I would also like to emphasise the importance of rest. Most of us are probably guilty of neglecting this—even myself. May the Lord truly deliver us! Jesus Himself understood the importance of rest.
Sometimes we become weary because we do not understand the difference between resting and quitting. There are times when you need to step back, pray, rest, and regain your strength. Resting does not mean abandoning your assignment. Sometimes, rest is preparation for the next stage of the race. Mark 6:31 says “Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while…” Jesus also withdrew from the crowds to pray. Luke 5:16 says “And He withdrew Himself into the wilderness, and prayed.” You cannot pour continuously without allowing God to refill you. Rest is not quitting it can be part of preparation. I would also like to remind us that our Christian race should be run well. 1 Corinthians 15:58 says “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord… your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” Whether the result or harvest of your labour comes now or later, God’s Word assures us that our labour is not in vain so keep sowing, keep praying, keep believing, keep serving, keep running. Psalm 126:5 says “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.” Hebrews 12:2 tells us that Jesus “for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame…” Jesus is our ultimate example of endurance. He endured the cross because He could see beyond the suffering, there was a purpose beyond the pain, resurrection beyond the cross, and victory beyond the suffering. In the same way, your present difficulty is not greater than God’s purpose for your life. So do not quit because your present situation is not the end of your story, the delay is not the denial, the struggle is not the conclusion and the difficulty is not greater than the God who called you.
Running without growing weary means that weariness will not have the final word over your life, remember the promise in our anchor scripture Isaiah 40:31 “They shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” So keep running and do not stop because the road is difficult, or because the answer is delayed, or because people have disappointed you, or because you have experienced failure, or because you are tired. Instead wait upon the Lord, look unto Jesus, receive His strength, keep the faith. And one day, you will be able to say with Apostle Paul “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7). May the Lord give us the grace to run our race faithfully, to endure every season, and to finish strong, in Jesus name. Our Worker’s meeting begins at 9:45 am and the Service starts at 10:15 am. God blessings – Mike