REMEMBER ME

"Do this in remembrance of me." Luke 22:19

Ya'll, my memory isn't what it used to be. I've come to terms with the reality that it will never be as sharp as it was in my younger days.  And, for that reason, I've become grateful for the invention of post-it notes, and the calendar and notes app on my phone.  Some days you wake up and have to think really hard about what day it is. I know I'm not the only one.  And, if you're reading this and you're in the earlier part of your life on this earth, and can't relate, you will one day.  It's coming for you as well.   That's what my mom always told me when I was younger.  She was right.  It's just part of life on this earth.  Our bodies get older, and things don't work as well as they used to.  The good news is we have lots of things to help us remember whether we're coming or going, when that "event" is you have to go to that your wife has reminded you of 124 times (according to her), and everything in between.  Eventually, helping ourselves remember stuff becomes a daily habit when it's needed.  
     In the gospel accounts of the New Testament, we read of  Jesus meeting with his disciples for what we call "the Last Supper." It was a very special moment. Jesus was moments away from being betrayed by Judas and arrested.  This would set in motion his crucifixion and resurrection from the dead.  I don't need to remind us how big of a deal this was.  After all, this is the center point of our faith as Christians.  It redefined our identity.  It has given us a living hope, unafraid of death, and victory over our sin.  On the night that Jesus met with his disciples for this special occasion, He took bread and symbolically broke it by tearing it apart.  He told them that the bread represented His body.  And as he took a cup of wine he told his disciples to divide it among themselves, and that it represented His blood being poured out.  As Jesus did this, He said these words: "Do this in remembrance of me."  
      These words are for us just as much today as they were for the twelve disciples then.  Some days, we need all the help we can get to remind us of the center point of our faith.  Christian, we should always strive to remember the sacrifice that Jesus made for our souls.  That's why the Lords Supper is such a special time in the body of Christ.  By partaking, it somberly reminds us of the gospel message that we need to constantly be reminded of.  This is why Jesus commands us to do so: to remember.  It truly is a special time when we have the Lord's Supper on Sunday morning.  It's such an important time, that we are told in scripture to examine ourselves before we participate.  And, while perfection is not required in our lives to take Communion, we are told to do a really good heart check beforehand.  We need to make sure we aren't just going through the motions of taking the Lord's Supper.   It may mean that if you have something against one of your brothers or sisters in the church, you go make that right, if within your power, before you participate.  It may mean that you take an inventory of your life, and ask God to reveal to you any sin that you need to confess and turn away from before you participate.  While these truths aren't meant to discourage and cause worry, they are a reminder that there is never a bad time in our life to examine ourselves in our walk with Jesus and ask Him to reveal anything that is contrary to God's will for our life.  
     You may ask, 'How often should we take Communion?"  While we have traditionally taken the Lord's Supper at South Fork once a quarter, or every 3 months, there is no biblical instruction on this.  Some churches take Communion together once a month, some every other month, and other churches take it every Sunday.  What is important is that no matter how many times we take the Lord's Supper, we do as Jesus commanded, and do it in remembrance of Him. It's a very special part of the gathering of the saints on Sunday morning, and we have the wonderful privilege of participating.  It's a loving reminder of the whole reason we get to gather together in Christ.  He paid the price for our sins. By being broken and bleeding, he ransomed us from death and Hell.  And, if you're anything like me, you need all the help you can get  remembering things.  Especially the most important truth there is.  
     

Brandon Walker

We've Been Liberated From Our Bondage

"It is for freedom the Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by the yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1

Next week, the country we live in celebrates what is know as "Independence Day."    On July 4th, 1776, the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence, and it became official.  America was free from oppression in the form of Great Britain, and a new nation was born.  Freedom is a word used quite often when we describe America and the land that we live in. The idea of freedom, however, is not a new concept.  It's mentioned in scripture many times.  We all have an idea of what freedom means, and sometimes our patriotic idea crosses over into the biblical idea of freedom.   And trust me, as blessed as we are to be living in a country that gives us freedoms in many areas, Jesus' idea of freedom is far superior than anything we could ever imagine as Heaven's citizens that just happen to temporarily reside in the United States of America.  The freedom we have been given through the precious blood of Jesus means we are free from the burden of sin and the weight that it carries on our lives.  We are free from the fear of death, Satan, and anything this temporary world may throw at us.  While it's easy for us to get tangled up sometimes in the heaviness of this world and just the grind of life, Jesus reminds us that we are free.  That's why Galatians 5:1 reminds us not to "let ourselves" be burdened again by the yoke of slavery.  Imagine a prisoner that had been given a life sentence suddenly be freed, pardoned, and released.  How crazy would it be for us to see that prisoner wake up one day and just go back to that prison and go sit inside his old cell?  That's exactly what it looks like when we get tangled up in our old ways and burdens.  We do it to ourselves.  But, the door to the cell we were once imprisoned is always open and unlocked, for Jesus has the keys to our freedom.  So, maybe today you're burdened by old habits and old ways of thinking.  Just remember that Jesus has made you free!   Christian, Jesus has paid the penalty due us as the result of our sins! Before we trusted in Him for our salvation, we were shackled down and a prisoner of our own doing.  Our very sin had to be dealt with, and before Jesus died and rose from the grave, the only way that would have happened was when we stood before God one day and he declared us "guilty," sentencing us to an eternity apart from Him in Hell.  Today, I pray that we remember what exactly we've been set free from, and what we've been set free for.  Brother and sister, we've been set free from sin and the penalty of sin, death, and an eternity apart from God Almighty.  And, we've been set free for the purpose of living a life that honors and glorifies our Heavenly Father in all we say and do, as we tell others around us about the freedom that can be had in the very One we have placed our trust in.  Christian, we are free indeed! 
   

-Brandon Walker

Together is better

      I pray your week has been blessed with much time in the presence of God in prayer and Bible study! We're still in the book of Exodus this week, and man, what an account it is!  What we read in the book of Exodus is cinematic movie material in every sense of the word.  In chapter 18, we read about Moses getting a visit from his father in law, Jethro.  Jethro has heard of what just went down with the people of Israel, which was a large amount of people. Through Moses, God led the Israelites out of 400 plus years of slavery in the land of Egypt.  This was a big deal. It was such a big deal, that Jethro had to come see for himself.  He came to visit Moses in the wilderness, where he was camped out with the Israelites.   One morning during his visit, Jethro watched as Moses sat to attend and minister to the people of Israel.  We're talking thousands and thousands of people.  Some scholars say up to 600,000 plus.  That's a lot of people. Moses would sit from morning to evening and the people would come to him to inquire about God, and bring their disputes to him for direction. Jethro quickly noticed something real quick.  He noticed how much of a task this was, and how much it would soon take a toll on the well being and sanity of Moses.  Jethro gave Moses some godly advice.  He told Moses that all the need he was seeing among the people was too great for one man to handle.  He suggested to Moses to find some able bodied men among the people that could be trusted.  He then suggested that Moses place these men over divided groups of Israelites and tend to each group given to them.  All the small matters would be handled by these appointed men, and Moses would only handle the larger issues.  You know what Moses did? He took Jethro's advice.  And it worked. I assume Moses had a few more less gray hairs after taking his father in law's advice.  He probably slept better at night, and a lot of the burden he was feeling was lifted because He didn't carry it alone any longer.  His burden for the hurting and confused was great, but that day he quick realized he wasn't alone in carrying it.  He quickly discovered that he was surrounded by like minded people that loved God, and had the same burden that he did.   So they joined together in their ministry.  Moses learned that day that together is better.  
     If you're a true follower of Jesus, one thing you notice is how you see things in the world around you in a different light.  The Holy Spirit gives us a new set of eyes.  We began seeing things the way God does.  We see the brokenness and hurt in a way we used to be blind to.  Or, maybe we even used to notice it, but now it breaks our hearts.  And, it may even weigh us down because some days, it feels like we are literally surrounded by pain and heartbreak.  And, we feel called to action.  But, if we're not careful, we can get this spiritual tunnel vision of sorts.  And, what I mean by that, is we can begin to see it as "me against the forces of evil and darkness."  We then attempt to take on this role of rescuer, healer, hero, and the only source of light in this dark world all on our own.  Everybody's problems then become our problems. Everybody's sin issues becomes ours to solve.  Every person we know that makes bad choices becomes ours to help them sort out.  Everyone in need of direction and a word from God becomes our audience to listen to us.  We're then tempted to see ourselves as some Christian superhero.  One of those superheroes that seems to single handedly take on the world of evil around them with no help.  See where we're going with this? 
     As Christians, we will be burdened by the lost, hurting, evil, and sin we see all around us.  But the key to victory in these things, and the only way to not let these things weigh us down to the point of a mental breakdown, is found in the advice of Jethro to Moses.  We can't do it alone.  Ya'll, we were designed to take on the work of ministry all by ourselves.  And, when I say ministry, that doesn't just include pastors and church staff. We're all in ministry. Every single Christian is a minister.  When we develop a Messiah Complex of sorts, which says "if it's meant to be, it's up to me," we will very easily be overwhelmed. Besides, one pice of humbling truth we need to remember is this : God doesn't need us for anything.  He doesn't.  God can take care of the world's problems of evil, sin, and hurting all on His own. He actually did that by sending His son, Jesus, to this earth.  When he died on the cross and was risen from the dead, he defeated death, sin, and evil once and for all.  We are therefore surrounded by things that have already been defeated. It's just a matter of time before Jesus returns and wipes theses things all away for all eternity.  All that being said, God doesn't need us to do His work.  But, in His grace, He has chosen to use us to be His hands, feet, and more importantly, His voice to a world that desperately needs it.  So, take a look around this Sunday morning at church.  These are your brothers and sisters in Christ.  And, they are your coworkers in Kingdom work.  They have the same burdens you do for the world. They hate sin and evil just like you do.  And, they may even struggle with feeling like it's too much for one person to bear. Just like you.  That's because it is.  One Man came down from heaven and has already changed the world, so we don't have to try. We must link arms with those God had blessed us with, the Church, and do the work God has given us together.  We must share our burdens with each other.  We must share the burdens we see in the world around us with each other.  and most importantly, we must do Kingdom work together.  So don't feel like it's all up to you to fix. It's really not.  God has it all under control. His will for you is to take on the darkness along with other Christians, in His power. Together is better.  

-Brandon Walker

Through It All

-Brandon Walker

 I was talking to a church family member the other day, and I asked the usual, "How's everything going for you right now?"   I got a pretty honest answer, which, if I'm being honest, is rare in itself.  I have found that most of us will pass up a wonderful opportunity to share our burdens with our brothers and sisters in Christ and just simply answer "I'm good," or "Just fine," when some things in our lives are anything but "good" or "fine."  Anyways, this particular church member answered with "I'm 'going through it' right now honestly."  We got to have a good conversation and counseling session, and it reminded me of the truth that we will all "go through it" in our lives on this earth. As a matter of fact, storms and trials are just as much part of our experience as Christians on this earth as the mountain top experiences.  And, without one, you can't have the other.  A valley wouldn't exist unless there were high points on both sides of it.  Such is our life and journey in this life as we follow our Savior through it all.  The "mountain tops" of life can give us rest, reflection, and gratitude.  The valleys of our faith walk can strengthen our faith, force us to walk closer with our Lord, and even give us gratitude for the mountain tops of life.  Both serve their holy purpose as they are all under the watchful and loving eyes of our Heavenly Father.  
     In Psalm 71, David was getting close to the end of his reign as king, and as David did quite a bit in the Psalms, he was asking God for help and deliverance from his enemies.  We could all learn a thing or two about prayer by reading the Psalms more often.  David's consistency in his prayers shows that David understood what it takes to make it in those times where he was "going through it." He knew God was His strength, and nothing else would do but God.  In chapter 71, he goes on to say  "I have become a sign to many; you are my strong refuge.My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long."  What David meant was he knew that people were watching him as he "was going through it."  Those around David knew of his struggles and trials, and his life had become a "sign" to others.  In other words, all the times that God had answered David's prayers, rescued him from His enemies, and even raised him up to a place of honor, had become testimonies of God's goodness, and people were marveled by these wonders in his life. And, David couldn't keep silent about these things.  He "declared God's splendor all day long."  One of God's purposes for trials is for us to tell of His mighty saving work when we come out of the other side of "going through it."  That's what David did. His life was an ongoing testimony of God's goodness, as so ours should be.  Christian, any and all circumstances in our lives, good or bad, we should praise Him to others.  Maybe you remember "going through it" in the past and it seems that all it brought you was nothing but pain and a scarred memory.  Have you praised Him for bringing you through it?  Maybe that's what you're missing; you're not giving Him the glory for preserving your life as you "went through it."  David may have had his mistakes in life, but he also got a lot right.  He was a man after God's own heart.  He gave glory to and praise to whom it rightfully belonged.  He knew that was His purpose in life.  It's ours, too.  We are called to reflect His glory in all we do and say, and tell of His wondrous works in our lives.  Let's declare His splendor all day long.  

Burdened By The Weight

Today, I'm going to be pretty transparent about something I've struggled with many times. In all honesty, I've struggled with this more than I care to admit. But, I talk about this because I am certain many of us deal with this issue in some fashion. And, Im also certain that many struggle with what I'm about to share, but don't even know it. And that thing I have struggled with is something so deceptive and hidden, that it was difficult to put my finger on until more recently than I care to admit. Some days, it seems that I would struggle with just being tired and exhausted. Before you eye roll, let me finish. Because I know, we're all tired and exhausted at times. But, I'm talking about the kind that sleep and rest don't fix. The kind that makes it hard to function some days. It was a heaviness that just seemed to never go away. At times, I thought it was depression, or just simply a part of aging. And while some of us are more prone to responding to stress in a negative way physically and mentally, I just felt that it was something more. I've been stressed before. I've been stressed before a lot actually. It's part of the life we live on this earth. But one day, that changed, and I want to share how it changed for the better. It's something I've been taught by the Lord Himself. Looking back, it was glaringly obvious what was causing my misery. But before, I was convinced it was everything else in the world causing my misery except the one thing I refused to see. That "thing" was unconfessed sin.

In the book of Psalms, chapter 38 we get a very clear description of David in some pretty intense misery and pain. In verse 3 he writes, "there is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation, there is no health in my bones because of my sin." Later in verse 7, he says, "there is no soundness in my flesh." David was having some pretty serious physical and mental issues. All because of sin in his life, and the Lord's displeasure in it. David writes and expresses the weight of discipline he feels from God as "piercing arrows," and "Your hand presses me down." In Psalm 38, David describes in detail the mental anguish, along with some very real physical symptoms, he feels. He is certain that his ailments are caused by his sin. In God's loving chastising, David found himself at the feet of his Creator asking for mercy and confessing his sin before Him. He finishes the Psalm with the honest and heartfelt cries of "Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!" David's pain caused him to look up. And, that's exactly what all pain should do for anyone that belongs to God as his child. That's exactly what it did to me, eventually. You see, I realized that I had unconfessed sin in my life. And I knew these things were sinful. They were actions and attitudes that were flat out sinful and displeasing to God, but I had become so calloused that I convinced myself I could just rely on God's "grace" and still live unchanged. But I was wrong. I have discovered that even in the times that I agreed that my sin was sinful, I never confessed it to God. I may have even stopped the sin and thought I had left it behind. But I had still never confessed it to God. He knows our sins. He knows everything. But, when we confess our sin to God, we are simply agreeing with Him that it is sin, and we hate it. It restores a right relationship with God when we confess our sins. Our prayers are more effective. We can hear him more clearly. We have more joy and peace. We can lay down at night and go to sleep. And, we can feel better in general. That was my case. I was sick, alright. I was sin sick. Sin causes destruction and havoc in our lives, even as believers. In His love, God will discipline His children to bring them back to repentance. He can, and will sometimes, use illness, whether mental or even physical, to bring us to Him. I'm not saying that all illness is a result of a specific sin we have committed. We experience sickness and illness because of the brokenness in this world caused by sin, however. Even though, I am certain that all illness can be used by God to bring Him glory. Maybe this is you today. Maybe, Christian, you feel the exhaustion and misery. Ask God to show you what is grieving Him in your heart. Go to him today, and confess your sins, no matter how large or small you may think they are. We are commanded to do so, for His name's sake, and for our good. I felt the weight lifted off of me instantly. Now, I still get tired and worn out. Don't get me wrong. But, now it's from working and serving, instead of worrying and hiding. I have made it a practice to daily confess my failings to Jesus. And, trust me, they are daily, and I'm not ok with that. I have a desire to have fellowship with God more than I desire to live the way I want to live for myself. The more I confess, the more aware of the temptations that come my way. So, check your heart, brother and sister. It could be a recent sin you struggled with, or sins from years past you committed as a Christian that you never brought before the Lord. Either way, He's waiting for you today. Lay that sin down that weighs you so heavily.

-Brandon Walker

A Great Cloud of Witnesses

This week, one of our longest standing members of South Fork Baptist went home. On Monday afternoon, Ray Mcdowell went into the presence of Jesus.  While Ray left behind a loving wife and family, we all rejoice.  Why do we rejoice?  Well, to say that Ray's life was an exemplary model of the Christian faith would be an understatement.  Ray simply lived a life that required no one to ask him if he was a child of the Most High or not.  It was more than visible in everything he did and said.  He was unwavering in his faith, even in the midst of trials, sickness, and surgeries.  To sit and talk with Ray about his life and life experiences should be something that I wished everyone in the world could have had a chance to do. Ray talked about his life, but not just to talk about himself.  He would share with you wisdom from living, whether you wanted to hear it or not.  There was gold sprinkled throughout any conversation you had with him.  You just had to listen, and he would share things of the faith with you in a way that changed you.  Ray was a hard worker his whole life, even after retirement. He found purpose in everything.  Ray was most proud of his marriage and how long Ms. Yvonne put up with him, as he would tell it.  One of his most well known pieces of advice to many was, "Some days, you will stand alone on your convictions, and no one else will back you.  Don't give in. Stand firm in those convictions."  Now, it sounded so much better coming from Ray. One day, he told me I was going to make a "fine preacher", as he said it. He told me he could always tell how well a man would do in ministry by simply getting to know the man's wife. And, as he said, I would be just fine.   The wisdom I was fortunate enough to get from him during our many visits are things that I won't forget for the rest of my life.  Ray used to love to run.  Like, marathon run.  The longer the distance, the better.   And on this past Monday, Ray finished the race that was set out before him by our Heavenly Father.  And you know what?  He finished well.  And because he finished well, we can rejoice.  Ray would tell you he wasn't perfect.  But he was covered by the blood of Jesus, and God saw him as perfect and righteous.  Ray will undoubtedly receive the crown of life.
     In Hebrews 11, we read what is commonly called the "Hall of Faith."  It's a non exhaustive list of saints we read about in the Bible that endured because of their great faith.  Faith was the highlight of their lives.  At the beginning of chapter twelve,  we are told we are surrounded by "great cloud of witnesses."  This simply means we have had many go before us that have lived a life worth modeling. Their life is a witness.  It's a life that, when we take time to listen to stories about that person, we quickly understand that faith was their key to success in all they did. These "witnesses" encourage us when life gets hard, because we can remember how they endured to the end and finished well.  Ray looked to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of his faith, and finished well.   We are then encouraged to lay aside every sinful thing that clings to us so closely and weighs us down.  And, then we're told to run the race.  We're told to run the race with endurance. It's not a sprint.  It's a marathon.  And sometimes, this marathon called life makes us weary.  It can even make us doubt our purpose and calling.  It can make us doubt everything.  But then we remember. We remember the "witnesses," like Ray.  And we are encouraged and strengthened. We see the glory of God in their lives, and remember how they endured to the end.  Ray's wisdom will be sorely missed, as well as his presence. But his witness still lives on with us. He left behind not only a church family that will miss him, he left behind a legacy of modeled faith. And when our race is over, brother and sister, we should do well to finish like Ray, and have the rock solid hope of being in the presence of Jesus, just like he is today.  

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Ray. 

-Brandon Walker

Look Ahead, Not Behind.

By Brandon Walker

“But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14

There's an old saying that I honestly can't pinpoint it's origin, but it's so true.  It's been said that the reason the windshield on a car is bigger than the rear view mirror is because we should spend more time looking ahead of us than behind us while we're driving.  And, while I'm uncertain of who said this first (because an "original" thought is simply a forgotten source), this saying couldn't be more true when applied to our Christian walk of faith.  Paul spoke of this very idea in the book of Philippians.  If there was ever such a Christian that could be tempted to struggle with his life and actions of the past, it could easily be Paul.  Paul's life before he met Jesus was less than stellar to say the least.  Paul even refereed to himself as the "worst of the worst" in the book of 1 Timothy.  As a zealous member of the Pharisees and a member of the Sanhedrin, an elite council of the Jews, Paul actively persecuted the church and had Christians thrown into jail and even killed.  When we are first introduced to Paul in the book of Acts, it's at the stoning of Stephen.  Paul basically tells those that stone Stephen "take off your coats and I'll watch them while you stone this guy." He highly approved of not just this execution of Stephen, but many others.  But, once Paul met Jesus, he became a new man, and a new creation in Christ.  However. Paul had the memory of his past in his mind.  It had to be one of Satan's constant attacks on Paul. I can only imagine that "the accuser" that is Satan must have reminded Paul of his past life and failures constantly. But how did Paul deal with the memory of his past?  We are told he "strained" toward what lies ahead.  Strained.  This word is translated to mean "to stretch forth" and to "reach forward."  This means it's an active, deliberate attempt to move forward.  In other words, it would take intentional effort.  But, what was Paul's motivation for doing this?  It's found in verse 12 of the same chapter: because Jesus Christ made Paul his own.  Paul reminded himself that he literally belonged to Jesus, in every single way.  He had been rescued and pulled out of the misery and pain of his past for a higher calling: to serve and love Christ in a way that also served and loved others.  In this rock solid truth, Paul found his meaning in life, and his purpose for the future. This was such a powerful reminder to Paul when he was tempted to dwell on past mistakes.  

     Maybe that's you today. We all struggle with past mistakes and sins. It's impossible to forget things.  Especially when our enemy in Satan loves to accuse and remind us daily.  But if we are able to always remember our past sins, we also have the ability to remember why we "strain" forward to look ahead at our present calling and identity, and also our future belonging.  We press ahead because Jesus has made us His own.  We are brand new. We are not the same, and are always being molded into the image of the One who saved us.  And while our memory reminds us of the past, it's just that : a memory.   Through the Holy Spirit, we have the power to fight back against our regrets and Satan.  Strain forward, Christian.  Straining implies it won't be easy.  But take heart, all things are possible through the God we belong to.  Amen and amen.

Don't Grow Weary, Christian

by Brandon Walker

Don't grow weary. When you read that, do you half-smile and shake your head like I did when I wrote it? Galatians 6:9 tells us to not grow weary. But, there's so much more in the next part of the passage. It tells us not to grow weary in doing good. You may think to yourself, "How is it possible to grow weary of doing good? I mean, it's 'good.' Well, it's easy for us to grow "weary" with anything, even good things. Growing weary in doing good as a Christian is something that we will always have as a danger in our lives. Why? Because it's spiritual in nature. Doing good as a Christian is all summed up by loving God and loving others. But we must remember there is an enemy in Satan, our flesh, and the world.
Satan accuses us all day long. He tells us the good we are investing our time and energy in is pointless. He tells us we'll never see the fruits of the labor we commit our lives to through the power of Christ. Our flesh just simply gets tired and selfish. Let's be honest, our flesh is lazy. It thinks about itself. It wants to conserve its energy for its own desires. Your physical mind and body are not your friends. Satan can wreck havoc in our minds and thoughts. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we must learn to master our physical body and mind and not let them direct our lives. Our sinful nature lies in our flesh, and we have to realize that it will fight against the spirit as long as we're alive on this earth. The world tells us to go, go, go. And if you ever stop you're weak, unproductive, and wasting time. Social media lies to us by showing us highlights reel moments of "success" in others lives. We compare ourselves with others, and we will usually never measure up to those lies we believe.
But Galatians 6:9 also tells us we will reap. That is a promise from God. Sometimes God allows us to see some earthly results of growth for His kingdom. We get to see people saved by God through the words of the gospel he gives us to speak. We get to see the faces and tears of gratitude of those that we go out of our way to love and serve. But, even if we don't see those things when we do good, we will have an eternal reward from Jesus when we meet Him face to face in Heaven. So don't grow weary, Christian. Rest in Jesus when needed, which will be quite often. We weren't designed to be able to run this marathon of faith on our own strength. You need His power. Meet with Him daily.
We will get tired. But we can't grow weary. Be encouraged. There is a reward waiting for us.