SAFE!!!

Some of you out there that know me well know that I'm a baseball guy. I enjoy all sports, but I really like my baseball. I was watching a game last night. I wasn't all that into it because I was about to fall asleep. A player hit a grounder toward third, defense picked it up and threw to first. Usually this would've resulted in an out, but this batter had ran so hard he made it to first and was safe. This was right after he fouled the ball off his foot. This got me thinkin...

This player was hurt, but he played through his pain. You could say he was down, but not out. He made contact with the ball and took off hard and straight towards his goal. He had nothing on his mind except getting to that base to be safe.

How alike is our lives today, in a sense like this particular situation? We might get hurt and stumble along lifes journey, but we persevere. We finally see our problems start to resolve and get a little better. What the difference is between people who make it to first safe or get thrown out is our desire. Desire makes a way, lack of desire makes an excuse.

We are human. Problems come and life just happens, but it's what we do with the situations we are faced with that will make the difference. Will we give up, say it's too hard and get thrown out? Or will we run hard, straight, and with our eyes on the prize?

Unlike the player last night, our race is not for the swift or the really fast people, but it's for the ones that will endure. Our race toward heaven is a straight and narrow path, but if we keep our eyes on the prize as we press toward the mark of God's high calling (Phi 3:14), run steady and stay focused, we will be safe.

Jesus is our strong and mighty tower. The Bible says that His name is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe (Pro 18:10). He is our strong tower, a shelter, a fortress, a place where no fear, no doubt, and no evil thing can enter. The name of Jesus is our refuge.

Friends, run steady and straight. You may run into bumps in the road, you'll face things of this life that aren't so great, but just keep your eyes fixed on Him, keep your heart focused, and your mind made up. Run to our Jesus who is our strong tower, and you will be safe.

J.H.