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Daily Encouragement Net - Encourage one another daily (Hebrews 3:13)
A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation.

Monday, April 18, 2005

"The Greatest Race"

"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"  (Hebrews 12:1).

Today is one of those days I would really rather be somewhere else! If I had my rathers I would sure be in the Boston area for the 109th running of the Boston marathon. Thousands of runners are gathering in Hopkintown, MA as I prepare this on a beautiful Monday morning for the start and scores more will be watching.
(The  field is limited to 20,000.) Hundreds of thousands will be all along the route and the finish line will be jammed on Boylston Street in downtown Boston.  I know, I've been there! 

We are all also in a race. It is certainly the greatest race. I am so thankful that there's not just one winner in this race we are running.  Everyone who finishes is a winner.  As we run this race we are surrounded by scores of fellow runners who witness us.  These are the ones who've gone before us and completed the race.

They are not like the vast majority who will witness the Marathon today, who never ran one.  Our witnesses can say "been there, done that"!  Joshua can say, "me and my household chose to serve the Lord!"  Daniel proclaims emphatically, "as a young man I purposed in my heart to live God's way!"  Paul can victoriously assert, "I counted all loss and I finished the race!"  My namesake Stephen is in perpetual rejoicing as he sees the Lord on His Throne. And our Lord Jesus, who also ran this race assures us, "I did all that my Father asked of me."

The witnesses include completers throughout the history of the church; some well-known, so many, many others not.  I gain spiritual inspiration by realizing my dad is among these witnesses, as is my first Pastor as a born-again Christian, James O. Howard. I gain inspiration by considering dear church friends who ran the course like Bill Shibilo, John Winchoba and Antonio Figueiredo. My friend Jim Lutton, a peer of mine who was called home early is among them. (If they have humor in heaven he's right in the middle of it.) I can just hear them all crying out to me, "Come on Stephen, you can make it, stay faithful, it's great up here!"

We are also surrounded by scores of fellow runners still in the race. Look around you today! What a great blessing they are. Count me in as one of these runners. We're not in competition, we are in this together and we need each other.  We encourage one another as we run this spiritual marathon together.  Let's keep running, believers! Let us indeed run with perseverance the race marked out for us.


Be encouraged today,


Stephen C. Weber

As I prepare this I am aware that some may need a special prayer or word of encouragement as you are having a tough time in the race. Send me an email  or fill out the comment form on the website and let me pray for you!

Here are two archived articles I wrote concerning the Boston Marathon years ago.

As I prepared this message a song came to mind. Here's a great website someone placed up. The sound is not very good (at least on my computer) but it has the words and I believe it will bless you.

Here's just the song with a better sound quality. The group that does this is "Phillips, Craig and Dean" which we will be going to see this Thursday evening here in Central PA, along with our pastor and his wife. If you live in the central PA area I would sure recommend this concert! Here's their website.

For marathon fans here's the official website for the Boston Marathon. In terms of on-site media coverage, the Boston Marathon ranks behind only the Super Bowl as the largest single day sporting event in the world. More than 1,100 media members, representing more than 250 outlets, are expected to request and receive media credentials in 2005.


It's no secret to long-term readers that while living in New England I became a lifelong Red Sox fan. Today's home game begins at 11:05. The timing is designed so that the game will end as the runners approach the stadium and thus the fans get a two for one sports deal. I was there once when the stadium emptied to the already packed streets and it is one amazing sight!

Special thanks - A reader in Texas designed the new header!
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Your comments are welcome! If you are the original recipient (a member of the mailing list) merely reply to this email. If not or you would prefer to use a webform please visit the comments page. I sure appreciate the input and read each comment and am so often encouraged.  However due to the volume of email I receive I am not necessarily able to reply personally to each one. I regret this since often readers will share a particular need or have a specific question. I certainly do pray when I receive a prayer request and often my wife Brooksyne joins me.

Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission; and the King James Version.
 
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and I make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and to prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."

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