Finish Strong

Most of the runners undergo years of practice and training to attain a podium finish. In order to finish strong in a race, they constantly strive to incorporate rigorous training strategies that improve their speed and endurance. Without these, one cannot imagine reaching the finish line confidently. All these years of hard work gets rewarded when one emerges as a winner at the end of the finish line. Many might miss their end goal just because they overlooked certain mistakes. Our life is an active race and if we are victorious, we have a great reward in store for us, which is eternal life with God.

From the Book of Exodus onward, we see that some of the Israelites missed reaching the finish line! They left Egypt with about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children aiming to reach the promised land - Canaan. Although in their journey they had increased in numbers to as many as the stars in the sky, the number of Israelites who actually set foot on the promised land were just a few. It is interesting to look into the lives of these people and infer why the majority of Israelites failed in their mission, so that we could prevent ourselves from being ensnared by the same mistakes and instead finish strong in our race of life.

Some of the reasons for their failure were:

1. Rebelled against God

Israelites were in constant rebellion against God. Even after witnessing the great deliverance the LORD had brought about by saving them from the hands of the Egyptians, they started grumbling for good water, great meals and so on. The Israelites had just experienced a divine protection where God himself fought for them as written in Exodus 14: 19-20 “Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long.”

Instead of being thankful to God for seeing them in their oppression and for delivering them from the hands of enemies and slavery, they instantly started grumbling against God’s servant and against God Himself. The forgiving and ever-loving God, instead of destroying them because of their ungratefulness and rebellion, heard their grumbling and provided for their needs surpassing their expectations. “The Lord said to Moses, “I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.’”” Exodus 16: 11-12

Even after tasting freedom, their old behavior never changed and we see in several places in the Bible when they again complained as in Numbers 20: 5 “ Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!” Although they had clearly seen the hand of God providing for each of their needs in the past, they continued with their rebelling and quarrelling nature without turning away from it.

Forgetting their blessings and grumbling led to the anger of God being burned against them. Let us take note of this behavior and be careful not to be rebellious against God and His people as to not evoke God’s anger against us and our descendents.

2. Did not put their trust in God

Having led the people for many years and giving them victory over many nations, God brought the Israelites to the hill country of the Amorites and asked them to go up and take possession of it. Instead of placing their trust in God who led them miraculously through the wilderness and subdued their enemies, they failed to believe that the same God will give them their promised land.

Deuteronomy 1: 32 "In spite of this, you did not trust in the Lord your God, who went ahead of you on your journey, in fire by night and in a cloud by day, to search out places for you to camp and to show you the way you should go."

They instead started to exaggerate their problems and fear gripped their hearts. We see them confessing in Numbers 13: 28 - 29,31 "But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites,Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan.” But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.”"

If they clearly knew the power of God and that it is God alone who fights for them, they would have never looked down upon themselves and been afraid of the people around them.

We at times exhibit the same trait by disbelieving God’s promises. We magnify the problems that we face and thereby diminish the power of God. Take it to heart that God goes before us to make way for us. He fights the battles for us and all that we must do is be still! Let us not be like the Israelites who failed to put their trust in God and led God to make the decision that not one of this generation will see the promised land except Joshua and Caleb.

Numbers 14: 20 -23 The Lord replied, “I have forgiven them, as you asked. Nevertheless, as surely as I live and as surely as the glory of the Lord fills the whole earth, not one of those who saw my glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times— not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their ancestors. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it.

When we fail to trust God, it is as though we are treating God with contempt. Neither test nor treat God with contempt by not having faith in Him and in His power. Instead let our faith arise as we witness the goodness of God in each day of our lives. Reflect on your life and remind yourself of the ways God has led you through the ages.

3. Did not listen to God

God speaks to us through His Word, His people and even directly to our hearts, but how we respond to it matters greatly. He makes known to us profound revelations but also warns us of things to come. He warned Israelites not to wage certain wars and that His presence will not go with them if they did so. Israelites instead trusted in their own abilities more than the warnings issued by God. In Deuteronomy 1: 41 b - 43 "So every one of you put on his weapons, thinking it easy to go up into the hill country. But the Lord said to me, “Tell them, ‘Do not go up and fight, because I will not be with you. You will be defeated by your enemies.’” So I told you, but you would not listen. You rebelled against the Lord’s command and in your arrogance you marched up into the hill country."

As they refused to listen to God's voice, they had to accept a great downfall. Let us keep aside our arrogant behaviours and respond to God’s warnings with great reverence. Never tread a path by yourself without His presence going before you. Seek His will and His presence at all times.

Instead let us be like Joshua and Caleb who finished strong and took possession of the promised land. Some of the virtues that helped them to reach their finish line were:

1. Following God wholeheartedly: Without even a shadow of doubt, Caleb and Joshua readily obeyed God’s commands. God Himself acknowledges that Caleb follows Him wholeheartedly. Because of this, he and his descendents reaped the great blessings God had in store for all.

2. Possessing a different spirit and trusting God: Even when the majority of the people didn’t trust God, we read in Num 14: 7-9 Joshua and Caleb started speaking words of faith and confessed that if God is pleased with them, He will lead them into the promised land. Instead of imitating others and choosing not to tremble in fear, Joshua and Caleb reminded the people of the protection that they all possess because the LORD is with them.

3. Trusting God’s promises: Let us be like these 2 men who trusted God’s power and His promises. God will never change the promises that He has made before you. He is faithful in everything that He says and does. He is not a man that He changes His mind.

While others were disqualified in their mission, Joshua and Caleb set foot on the promised land because they possessed a different spirit and trusted God wholeheartedly beyond all their circumstances. This has been written in the Scriptures for us to emulate the good traits these men possessed and to purge from us all evil traits that prevent us from receiving God’s promises in our life. When we approach the end of life’s finish line, let us be confident as Apostle Paul when he said these words about his life in 2 Timothy 4:7-8,

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing”

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