God Has Carefully Marked Your Course!

Therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us…

Hebrews 12:1 AMPC

As we wrap up our study of Hebrews 12:1, I want to share a personal story with you. Several years ago, I spearheaded a local 5K run/walk race that raised funds and awareness for the Agape Center, a primary school/community center in Kenya, Africa. My team and I pushed forward against obstacle after obstacle, stubbornly refusing to give up on our dream of turning our ideas into reality. None of us had any experience directing a race, but a few of us were runners and knew what runners liked. Had we known a fraction of the work that it took to successfully implement the event, we all would have likely thrown in the towel. As race director, I had to coordinate with the city officials—obtaining special event permits, paying fees, obtaining insurance, and presenting proposals to these officials before we could even begin to advertise for the event. All in all, this was a massive undertaking for our fledgling group of volunteers.

Surprise!

Leading up to race day, I made absolute certain that the most important elements of the race were in place and every detail was accounted for. I ran, walked, and biked the race course many, many, times, marking the concrete in chalk with painstaking accuracy, wanting to make certain that my course was as professional as any other race in the county. I needed the course to be clean, safe to run, easy to follow, and exactly 5 kilometers long. Anywhere I saw gravel or sand on the course, I had volunteers with brooms at the ready, sweeping and re-sweeping every turn so that the runners would be exposed to as little danger as possible.

Before the sun came up on race day, during my first ride through of the course, I came upon something totally unexpected that struck panic into my heart. We had carefully made all our final markings for the course (arrows, directions, and lines marking turns) the night before, and were not planning on making any major adjustments on race day. That morning, as I rode into the most critical turn system in the course, instead of being greeted with my chalk markings, I saw a lake of water where my carefully laid out course had been just hours before. Sprinklers all around this part of the course had sprung to life overnight, soaking what was the most potentially confusing part of the race, washing away all signs of our hard work.

With only an hour to go before the race, we quickly gathered as many brooms as we could and swept the area of the standing water. Thankfully, the sun was warm and within a half hour of race time, the course was mostly dry, and we were able to re-mark that area. Just to be sure, I posted a trusted volunteer at that location to point runners in the correct direction as they made their way through that part of the race. The race turned out to be a huge success, and we received nothing but positive feedback from everyone who participated in the event, some of whom were seasoned veteran runners.

The Race Set Before Us

Many times, as I was marking out that race course, I was reminded of the “race that is set before us” mentioned in Hebrews 12:1. The Amplified Classic Edition puts it this way:

…the appointed course of the race that is set before us…

God has a plan, a purpose, and a destiny for you and me. He is so committed to our successful completion of the race before us that He personally sees to it that our course is carefully laid out, measured, and ready for our running feet!

The words translated “the race that is set before us” are agōn prokeimai hēmin in the Greek. The word agōn is frequently used both in the Bible and in Greek culture in relation to the stadium, or the place of contest. As you are probably aware, during the days of the early Church, the Greeks held their games in the highest regard. They considered mastery of the human body through discipline, training, and competition to be the highest achievement, even idolizing the winners of their games by carving statues of them.

Agōn also carries the idea of conflict and tension. By using this word, agōn, the Holy Spirit is telling us that the goal will not be met with ease, but through hardships and intense training. As Rick Renner puts it eloquently, “The Holy Spirit isn’t trying to scare us, but prepare us.” This word later becomes connected with Christian martyrdom during ferocious contests held in Rome. In fact, agōn is the root behind our English word, agony.

The word translated “set before us” is a combination of two words: pro, which means before, and keimai, which means to lie [down]. The two words, when combined, become prokeimai, which means to lie or be placed before one or to be set before. This is the same word used in the next verse of Jesus, who, “for the joy set before [prokeimai] Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

God is Marking Your Course!

Today I want to encourage you with this simple fact: God has a good plan for your life, and He is actively engaged in marking your course, setting things up and leading you into victory. No, He doesn’t design and set before you hardships, sickness, disease, poverty, and lack—no! God only gives good gifts (Matthew 7:11, James 1:16-17, and Jeremiah 29:11). But our race is not easy. We are in a fight; a contest, and we must take hold of the promises of God to inherit everything He promised us—everything that we need to live a life of victory as we bring heaven to earth all around us, saturating the earth with God’s glory as the waters cover the sea.

Don’t be tempted to think that God would ever lead you into something with power, just to leave you high and dry. No, He is with you every step of the way! Just like I marked out the course for my runners, careful to examine every detail of the course with their safety in mind, God Himself has marked out His plan for your life with the utmost care, integrating into His perfect plan His very best for you, every step of the way.

“What about predestination?” someone asks. The simple fact is, God designed our paths and purposes so that they could only be fulfilled by willing and loving hearts—that is, He ordered our paths before the foundation of the world, but the decision to walk in those ways belongs only to you and me. Do you see it? I designed the course with many runners in mind, but only the people who signed up for the race ran it.

God didn’t just spin up the universe, fold his arms, sit back, and watch His creation continue on without Him. No, He is a relational, intimate, loving God who desires above all else personal, daily interaction with His people. This is the amazing, indescribable, impossible-to-wrap-your-mind-around good news of the glory and story of Jesus Christ. Just like I ran, biked, and walked the race course before the big day, God Himself—Jesus Christ in the flesh—put on human “running shoes” and ran our course for us so that we didn’t have to fulfill all the rules of righteousness in the Law of Moses to be right with God. Furthermore, Jesus has already ran the race, being our ever present help in time of need, knowing us and loving us, having been tempted and tried in every circumstance life can throw at us. That’s awesome!

Making the Finish Line

The Holy Spirit is with you; He goes before you and is in you—to be your personal trainer in this contest. You don’t have to do this alone—no, if you are born again, you’ve got the power of Almighty God on the inside of you, equipping you and empowering you to run this thing with all the energy, focus, and determination needed to take the prize. When you are tempted to think that your circumstance is too much for you to handle, relax; you are in good company. The Holy Spirit will speak to you, leading you in the special place that God has marked out for you.

Know this: God has marked out a course for you. He has already walked the path. He knows what’s coming, and He knows how to navigate this thing. As we cultivate a listening ear and a tender heart to the things of God, He will personally guide us and lead us through everything we encounter. He is Jehovah Rapha, The Lord Who Heals You. He is Jehovah Shalom, The Lord our Peace. He is who He says He is! Let’s get that simple fact deep down into our spirits.

When I begin to feel defeated, I sometimes study the redemptive names of God* and meditate on the One Who leads me and guides me. By keeping our eyes on Jesus, we are more than able to conquer and dominate every single thing that comes against us in life; everything that Satan throws at us in an attempt to throw us off the path that God Himself has laid out before us.

As we wrap up our study of Hebrews 12:1, let’s consider the following questions:

• Does your view of God include Him being kind, thoughtful, and deliberate in setting out the course of your life? Or do you see God as distant, aloof, or only involved when it comes to “important spiritual matters”? How does our study of the Greek phrase the race set before us affect your view of God’s personality?

• Do you know what God’s plan for your life looks like? If so, are you taking the time to hear from Him, receive course corrections, and move forward in the things He is asking you to do?

• Kathryn Kuhlman once said, “God isn’t looking for gold vessels, or even silver vessels—He is looking for yielded vessels.” Does this rub you the wrong way? Do you think that you have to attain a certain level of spirituality, maturity, or obedience before God will reveal His purposes to you? Why don’t you ask the Holy Spirit to show you where your heart is regarding this vitally important subject?

* For a brief overview of the seven redemptive names of God found in Psalm 23, I suggest you check out Christ The Healer by F.F. Bosworth. While Bosworth’s descriptions of these names are not exhaustive, the context in which he presents them is directly applicable, practical, and powerful in understanding and receiving the blessings of God by faith.

Photo by N. on Unsplash