I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Philippians 3:14
When God gave the prophet and cupbearer to the king of Persia, Nehemiah, a divine burden, Nehemiah boldly and courageously did something about that burden. This burden was to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. We learned in our Bible study yesterday that when Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem to take on the task of leading the rebuilding of the city's walls, he saw just how dire the situation was. Rubble was everywhere, and the city was in ruins. It was at this moment that Nehemiah had to decide whether to continue with the project of rebuilding the walls or walk away, overcome by its magnitude.
We learn Nehemiah’s response when he saw for himself the terrible state of Jerusalem and its walls in Nehemiah 2. In this passage of Scripture, he went into the city after dark (verse 13). Even in the dark, he could tell the city was in terrible condition, with rubble everywhere. In response to the devastation all around him, Nehemiah did not cower in fear. Instead, he chose to get to work. He chose to let the rubble deepen his resolve to act on his divine burden. He spoke to the Jewish leaders and said, "Let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem" (verse 17). He was ready to get to work and act on his divine burden.
Nehemiah's response to his burden, focusing on the burden rather than the magnitude of the task ahead of him, is an example for us to follow. You see, when it comes to the divine burdens that God places on our hearts, we may feel tempted to be overcome by the magnitude of the task that God has given us. We have to stay focused on the burden God has given us instead. The apostle Paul said in this way in Philippians 3, "I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us" (verse 14). Paul explains here that, through everything he faced, he persevered, focusing on the task ahead: making Christ known everywhere around him. This, my friends, is why he chose to persevere even when he saw just how great the task ahead of him was.
Will you commit to perseverance when it comes to the divine burden God has given you? The divine burdens that God gives us are the things that will last forever and have eternal significance. Let's keep going, even when the obstacles look great. We have work to do, and we must keep going. We have to live for the things that matter for eternity.
Make a list now of the things in your life that are worth dying for. On this list, write down the things that are worthy of your energy and resources. List the things that will last forever, and commit to living your life with perseverance and a commitment to see the divine burden that God has given you become a reality.
Philippians 3:12-21
12 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
15 Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. 16 But we must hold on to the progress we have already made.
17 Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. 18 For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. 20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. 21 He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.
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