Radiant YTH AdventSample

People often say that when it comes to working out or going for a run, it’s more of a mental challenge than it is physical. Have you ever tried running for more than a mile? Maybe running comes naturally to you, but even if that is the case, running long distances requires endurance and training. You don’t just wake up one day, having never run a day in your life, and run a marathon. People spend months preparing for distances like that! It takes practice and repetition over time.

It also matters what you fuel your body with. Have you ever eaten a really big meal or a lot of super sugary soda and then run somewhere right after? It doesn’t end well. For long distance runners, they have to continually fuel their body with the right things, even while they run, in order to make it to the finish line.

It’s the same way with our spiritual journey. You need to spend daily time with God in order to “run with perseverance the race marked out for us”. And you probably need to take a moment to pray here and there throughout each day too. Our fuel in the spiritual “race” is so important, because if we’re not careful to feed our spirit with good things, we can stumble and fall.

Thankfully, we don’t operate on our own as followers of Christ. We have the Holy Spirit empowering us. We have the Word of God to instruct us. And we even have brothers and sisters in Christ to cheer us on along the way. The Lord will uphold you and strengthen you. Your part is to make sure that you seek Him and He will take care of the rest.

• Bottom Line: God renews the strength of those who place their hope in Him. Like an eagle, He helps us soar above our struggles.
• Response: Reflect on God’s promise that he renews your strength every day.