It doesn't just take a holiday season, the thought of growing older, or the uncertainty of what tomorrow may bring to wear us down. Everyday, every hour, and every minute of our lives holds the possibility of a potential stamina-draining event. So if you are feeling worn down, faint, or just plain weary, you are not alone and whatever you do, don't let the devil convince you otherwise.

In fact, it is guaranteed through the course of our life we will continually find ourselves struggling with weariness. Our only antidote against the effects of our daily fatigue can be found in the steadying hands of our Lord; only through the strength of our Lord can we acquire the strength needed to face the stamina eroding effects of fatigue.

Earlier last week, I myself struggling spiritually and physically with weariness, the Lord directed me to a scripture I hadn't read in a long time, a verse that was one of my favorites growing up. In it I began to regain my strength,

As I finished reading the verse I thanked the Lord, having just been reminded His timing is always perfect, always on time, and never a second late. Out of all 31,102 verses in my King James Bible and God directed my attention to the two I need the most. It might seem minor to you, but at that very moment, my Father knew I needed some encouragement.

These 2 verses in Isaiah reminded me of running a physical race, though it is definitely speaking of our spiritual race we are currently running. I began to think of the weariness associated with running a race, and having run track for a year in high school I can vouch from my own experience it is impossible to run a race without the effects of fatigue setting in.

In track as in life, there are always those who can naturally run far, there are those like myself we had nothing natural to contribute to track and field, and then there where the ones who had proper training that never seemed to quite running. I for one never had proper training, wasn't a natural, and hated running track, so I was generally always weary.
* Note: I was only doing it to appease my football coach, but no more excuses.

After I became a Christian I would often compare my spiritual body to that of my physical body in relation to sports, just like my physical body would get weary as the game dragged on, my spiritual body was getting weary as my daily spiritual race was going forward. I begin to realize that only through proper exercise could my spirit expect to make it to the finish line. Spiritual training didn't come in the form of throwing my spirit on a treadmill, or taking a brisk walk at 6 am, it came through daily fellowship with my Heavenly Father.

Everyday we wake up deciding to live another day for Jesus Christ is another day our spirit can be renewed. Through our deliberate stand of faith we are spiritually putting one foot in front of the other in our pursuit of holiness, (disregarding the devil's worldly schemes he constantly uses to persuade our flesh to do otherwise), this pursuit leads us to a place of spiritual renewal with the Lord.

The dedication and spiritual fortitude it takes us as Christians to daily pick up our cross and follow Jesus is the most challenging leg of the race our flesh will ever encounter. Carrying a cross after Jesus Christ goes against every ideology of the flesh, and only through the strength of the Lord's renewing Spirit can our spirit even be capable of defeating the stubbornness our flesh will most definitely present. As long as we still reside on this earth and have life in our bones this challenge will daily lay before us, but don't fret, our Heavenly Father has a plan and desires to rejoice with us and all of Heaven as we victoriously cross the finish line.

Our Father knows these challenges that we will face even before we face them. Even without us being aware of the lessons that we are being taught the Lord is instructing those who have a heart after Him and long to receive His instruction. God works in mysterious ways, His style is unique in a way only He understands, and usually only in hindsight can we truly appreciate the plan that God has been unfolding daily in our lives.

Since before the foundations of the earth the Lord has been working on a specific plan for you and me alike, not a single one plan has He spent more time or put more effort into, for our God is a sovereign and just God, the perfect Father in every way. He loves us all the same and has for each of us a perfect plan; His perfection is always perfect without trial and error, inerrant, free of imperfection, void of time and space.

During the course of our race we will be afflicted in every way, but we will never be crushed or given more than we can handle. The course before us will cause use to become perplexed but never despairing. We will even be persecuted but our Heavenly Father will never forsake us, we will be struck down, but never will we be destroyed. All throughout this race we are carrying in our body the death of Jesus Christ for our sins, so that as we carry on through the race the life of Jesus can be made manifest in our body. As we continue in the way of righteousness Jesus is daily being manifested within our own body, giving us the strength to overcome all desires and urges of the flesh, keeping our hands cleaner and allowing our spiritual body to become increasingly stronger.

When we seek out the will of the Father for our lives He establishes our steps and delights in our progress. When we fall, which because of our flesh this is a guarantee, the devil will lie to us and say that the Lord has turned on us, tossing us to the side because we are a disgrace, but what does the devil know of grace? We must catch him in his lie and proclaim that the Lord will never turn His back on those who's hand He personally holds, even King David in his old age proclaimed he had never seen the righteous forsaken or their descendants beg for bread. The devil is a liar and feel free to remind him.

Continue to find your strength in Jesus Christ, always remember Philippians 4:13, and I pray this message has brought you some encouragement. We are all in a race, we are not alone, and God has a perfect plan for us all.

God Bless, daniel