To View the Video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/SXnABTh0UYE
SHOW NOTES
Welcome back to a new week of the Hope Rescue Podcast. When we published our first podcast episode discussing COVID-19 at the beginning of March, we didn’t expect to still be discussing it in May. Now it is May 4th and we are still feeling the impact that the Coronavius is making on the country. Between businesses and schools closing down, millions of Americans losing their jobs, and individuals staying home, people are starting to feel heavy about the situation. Today we are talking about endurance, but more specifically enduring even when you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Second Timothy chapter four is the last chapter of the last book that Paul wrote. He wrote to Timothy as he realized his life was coming to an end. 2 Timothy 4:7 says, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” Fight. Finish. Keep. When this pandemic has passed, will you say “I fought the good fight.”?
What does it mean to fight the good fight? Are you fighting against the temptation to give up? The temptation to give up on your commitment to the Lord. The temptation to give up on your marriage. The temptation to give up on your family. Kimberly explains that this kind of fight happens within the heart, mind, and soul. By fueling hope in your own heart, you can spread that hope to those around you. Tim explains that to fight the good fight, we can't be worried about yesterday or tomorrow. We have to acknowledge that today is enough, and embrace and be thankful for the moment. Kimberly says, “When we get one foot locked into the past, we have no forward momentum to keep pushing forward.
Paul says, “I have finished the race.” What does it mean to finish the race? First we have to recognize what race we are in. This doesn’t mean to compare and see what race everyone else is running around us. Look at your own life and figure out what race you have been called to run. God has called us all to glorify Him, but that may look different for each of us depending on the race we are running. Keep your eyes on the Lord, keep moving forward, and remember to stay in the lane God has placed you in.
Lastly, Paul says, “I have kept the faith.” Don't let adversity drive you away from Christ.We have finite minds. God is infinite, and He has plans far beyond our comprehension. In times like this it is tempting to question God and wonder why He would allow adversities to come into our lives, just as Job did. It is important to remember how God responded to Job when He was questioned. in Job 38:4-7, God says to Job, "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” God is not belittling Job but trying to explain to him that since he is not the creator of the world, he couldn’t even to begin to understand the depths of God’s plans and purposes.
Tim summarizes all they have said by saying, “seek the face of God.” Are you seeking the face of God in this time of hardship? We seek the face of God through worship, prayer, and reflection upon divinely given truth in the Word of God. We are called to fight the good fight, to finish the race, and to keep the faith.
QUOTES
“When we get one foot locked into the past, we have no forward momentum to keep pushing forward.” -Kimberly
“We seek the face of God through worship, prayer, and reflection upon divinely given truth in the Word of God.” -Tim
“Our Heavenly Father is looking at this unique moment in time anticipating and hoping for the opportunity to have intimacy with you.” -Kimberly
REFERENCED SCRIPTURE
2 Timothy 4:7 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
Job 38:4-7 "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
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