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Jesus Had A Riches To Rags Story

Dec 6, 2020

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. – 2 Corinthians 8:9

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It is a riches to rags story.  Jesus willingly exchanged all the wealth of His deity for the poverty of His humanity when He took on flesh and came to dwell on earth.  Not to a palace, but to a manger.  Not to comfort, but to suffering. Not to glory, but to shame. Not to a throne, but to a cross.  He left a place where He was worshipped and obeyed to come a place where He would be rejected and killed.  Why?  It wasn’t because heaven was empty and God was lonely.  It wasn’t because God was needy for us to join Him, but rather we were needy for Him to join us.  The Bible says He did this “for your sake.”  Let that sink in.  For.  Your.  Sake.  You couldn’t get to God, so He came to get you. You couldn’t live up to God’s standards, so Jesus lived perfectly for you.  You couldn’t break free from sin, so He set you free.  You couldn’t atone for your transgressions, so Jesus died in your place.  You couldn’t defeat death, so He conquered the grave so you too will rise. You couldn’t earn an eternal retirement, so He paid for your inheritance.  You have become rich in salvation, forgiveness, joy, peace, glory, kindness, favor, righteousness and love because of the “grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  Everything good in your life and everything bad that is turned around for good was purchased for you through the finished work of Jesus.  And long before it was finished at Calvary, it was started in Bethlehem.  For your sake.

In Receiving Jesus, We Receive Everything

Dec 5, 2020

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. – John 3:16

 

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When was the last time you thought about eternity and what it would be like to perish forever?  When was the last time you rejoiced that you have a completely different eternity awaiting because God gave His Son? When was the last time you contemplated the implications of receiving this gift? Everything bad is turned around and traded in for good when we trust in Jesus! Because in Jesus, through Jesus, by Jesus and from Jesus we are given forgiveness, joy, peace, hope, power, identity, purpose, security, acceptance, courage, transformation, comfort, companionship, help, guidance, endurance and everlasting life.  And every entry on this list has a sub-list of its own with staggering promises and provisions from God to those who are born again into His family. And every entry on every sub-list has its own listing of countless practical, everyday ways that God’s gracious gift shows up for us in this life.  And this life is not even as much as one drop from all the water contained in all the oceans, seas, lakes and rivers of the world in comparison to what we will receive in eternity when we go to be with God.  All this is a gift.  An understated gift, for there is much more that could be said of the benefits and blessings of knowing Jesus.  An undeserved gift, for there is much more that could be said of the depths of our sinfulness apart from Jesus.   In receiving Jesus, we receive everything.  For who could add anything to the gift of God’s Son that would make that gift better? Unwrap its blessings afresh today by believing and by loving the One who gave you this Gift as you think about the preciousness and pricelessness of what He means to you.

Everybody Loves Good News

Dec 4, 2020

And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. – Luke 2:10-11

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Everybody loves good news.  Why?  Because good news makes us happy.  And in a world full of bad news and sad news, we could all use more glad news!  The way to battle the negativity of sin and sorrow that is around us and a part of us is not merely to fill our thinking with positivity.  We all know that doesn’t fix how we feel or act for long if it fixes anything at all.  We fight for joy by “preaching the gospel to ourselves.” That is, we tell ourselves the good news of Jesus over and over, specifically as it applies to what we are struggling with in the moment.  We remind ourselves of the things that are true for us because of Who Jesus is to us and what Jesus accomplished for us.  We recall promise after promise that has been made to His people by the great Promise-Keeper Who never fails to do what He says.  We remember the words of peace and grace and love that Jesus spoke in the Bible and now speaks into our lives.  Remembering leads to rejoicing.  The more we trust in that message of joy that a Savior and Lord has arrived to save us from bad and rule over us for good, the more we will experience the “good news of great joy” (Luke 2:10-11) no matter what we are facing.  Today, don’t fill your mind with the garbage of this world; fix your mind on the glorious good news of Jesus.  If He’s your “Savior” and “Lord” then… Your past is forgiven.  Your present is empowered.  Your future is secure.   This is not just good news; it’s the best news ever!

What Are We Waiting For?

Dec 3, 2020

And coming up at that very hour she (Anna) began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. – Luke 2:38

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Advent is a time of hopeful waiting.  The question is:  what are we waiting for?  Life will frequently leave us disappointed and dissatisfied if we are waiting for the right time and the right things to make us feel the right way.  Many of us can’t be happy until we land that dream job, achieve that life goal, meet that perfect mate, unclutter that schedule, overcome that health challenge, get out of that hard situation, fix that nagging problem, or discover that magic pill to satisfy us once and for all.  It usually doesn’t come; if it does come, it doesn’t live up to our expectations; if it does live up to our expectation, it doesn’t last.  And so, we wait.  And we wait.  And we wait our lives away. The reason we can’t find our satisfaction in the people, places and things of earth is because we were never meant to.  Perhaps this frustration and futility is God’s gracious and loving way of showing us that our longings are not being fulfilled because we are not looking to Jesus to give to us what this world never can.  As you and I wait for His second coming, because of His first coming, we can be set free from the bondage of sin and its enslaving desires and be fully happy with all that we have in Jesus. So, when you feel dissatisfied, let it be a gift from God to reorient your heart and redirect your gaze to the one place where real contentedness is found … the gift of His Son.  Give Him your heart and He will give you His heart satisfaction.  What are you waiting for?

Thanks Be To God For His Indescribable Gift

Dec 2, 2020

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! – 2 Corinthians 9:15

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The sights and sounds and smells and savoriness of the season bring a warmth to my heart every December.  It truly is the most wonderful time of the year.  But only when we remember that it’s all about Jesus!  So… As we walk past the Salvation Army worker, let us pause to remember that Jesus came to earth to work for our salvation.  As we hear the Christmas music, let us smile because Jesus has put a new song of praise in our hearts.  As we see the decorations adorning our surroundings, let us thank God that one day a crown of thorns would adorn the head of the Christ child.  As we notice a beautiful evergreen tree with wrapped packages, let us think back to a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes who would grow up and hang on a tree to bring everlasting life.  As we find the perfect gift for a loved one, let us focus on John 3:16 as we realize afresh that God sent us the perfect gift of His Son because we are His loved one.  As we see the glow of multi-colored lights, let our own hearts be merry and bright because the Light Of The World has come.  As we enjoy a festive meal with our family and watch It’s A Wonderful Life, let us realize that because of Jesus, George Bailey isn’t the only one who is rich with blessings.  Over and over, may every fleck of tinsel and every note of a carol and every morsel of a cookie direct our attention to the stunning wonder of Jesus so that we erupt in joyful praise, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”

When We Could Not Get To God, God Came To Us

Dec 1, 2020

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).  – Matthew 1:22-23

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There is something about closeness that increases the intensity of the experience and decreases the insensitivity to it.  Nearer to the sun produces greater light.  Nearer to the fire produces greater warmth.  Nearer to God produces greater hope and happiness.   If absence makes the heart grow fonder, then surely presence makes the heart grow fuller.  But there is a problem:  our sin prevents nearness to God because it separates us from Him with no possible way from our side to bridge the gap between us.  This is why Jesus came, to become “God with us” so we can be with God.  This is why Jesus lived.  This is why Jesus died.  This is why Jesus rose.  So you and I can draw near to God.  In doing so, He unleashed the light and warmth of His love with all of its countless benefits and blessings that come from knowing and being close to Him.   We who are trusting in Jesus for forgiveness of and freedom from sin need no longer be distant from real peace, real hope, real joy, real comfort, real security, real wisdom and real love because we are no longer distant from God.   The greater our trust in Him, the nearer we are to Him.  So… Let us look to Him with confidence that He will satisfy our hearts; let us live for Him by faith that He will secure our way; let us long for Him with hope that He will come for us so we can be perfectly and pleasurably in His presence forevermore.  And let us remember and rejoice that it’s all because of Immanuel.  When we could not get to God, God came to us.

A Happily Ever After Ending

Nov 27, 2020

There are many experiences that cause us to weep with joy.  It is touching to observe some beautiful act of kindness.  It is stirring to embrace a loved one after an absence.  It is moving to see someone come back from certain failure.  It is emotional to extend or receive real forgiveness.  It is uplifting to receive some unbelievably good news, behold the birth of a baby, view the rebirth of a struggling marriage, and witness a life in ruin radically changed for good.  But as wonderful and sentimental as each of those occasions rightly are, they do not compare to this stupendous, heart-stirring, joy-producing, emotion-overloading, love-generating occurrence… Jesus died for our sins so that we might have eternal life. We were the ones in need of a beautiful act of kindness. We were the ones who were far away in need of love’s embrace. We were the ones headed towards certain failure in need of a comeback. We were the ones deep in sin in need of forgiveness. We were the ones desperately in need of the Good News. We were the ones dead and in need of rebirth and new life. We were the ones whose lives were in ruin and in need of change. And Jesus set His affections upon us, pursued us, gave us the faith to believe, and graciously rewrote our narratives with the ultimate weep-for-joy “they lived happily ever after” ending.

The Best Way To Be Thankful

Nov 26, 2020

The sweetest of all thankfulness isn’t superficial; it goes deep.  It goes past feeling happy that certain things are in our lives.  It goes past naming those things so it is known that we appreciate them.  It goes past even tracing their origin back to God and thanking the Giver for all of our blessings.  There is a delightful, wonderful, beautiful experience when our gratitude is not merely directed toward God for His gifts, but toward God for Himself. This happens when we see beyond loved ones, comforts, simple pleasures, touching moments, adventures, favorite things and other wonderful blessings to see something about the character, generosity, supply, and love of God in Christ towards us.  Deeply felt thankfulness is rooted in knowing God.  Knowing… The peace that comes from trusting Him. The joy that comes from delighting in Him. The guidance that comes from following Him. The hope that comes from believing Him. The courage that comes from walking with Him.  The renewal that comes from resting in Him. The love that comes from belonging to Him.  The real blessings aren’t peace, joy, guidance, hope, courage, renewal, and love; the real blessing is Him.    If everything we label as a blessing was taken from our lives and only Jesus remained with us, we would be infinitely, mind-blowingly, perfectly, eternally blessed.  The more we realize the staggering nature of the Gift that can never be taken from us, the more we will rightly enjoy all of the gifts that have been temporarily given to us. The way to be best thankful for all that God has given us is to be most thankful for Him.

You Have Many Reasons To Be Thankful

Nov 25, 2020

Every God-given small, medium or large part of your life that would leave a sorrowful void if it were taken from you is a blessing if it is present today.  Blessings are, literally, everywhere you turn.  You have many reasons to be thankful!  Many.  Reasons.  Yet there is something more that God means for us to express than merely a gladness that we have received certain things that make us happy.  It is not enough to experience thankfulness for blessings; even more we should express thankfulness to the Blesser. Gratitude that terminates on the blessing or the deliverer of the blessing and doesn’t rise to God Who is the originator of the blessing is not thankfulness that is pleasing to Him.  It is not God’s will for us to have appreciation for the gift without affection for the Giver. God does all these things for our good, but always that He might receive glory for His goodness.  We don’t just receive gifts … they were sent to us by God.  We don’t earn or merit blessings … they were paid for on the cross by Jesus.  We don’t have an anonymous, impersonal Giver … we can know Him personally.  We aren’t merely to enjoy what He gives to us … we are to give our hearts to Him. Let us be thankful today for the good things in our lives.  Let us celebrate the bad things that are worked out for good.  Let us anticipate the best things yet to come.  Let us count our many blessings and be glad. Most of all, let us express our adoration and appreciation and allegiance to the One from Whom all blessings flow.

What Matters Most If What You Forward Ahead

Nov 24, 2020

One of the greatest dangers and deceptions that you will face in your life is that of disobedience by delay.  That is, you will be tempted to wait to do what God has called you to do as an ambassador for Christ.   Wait until a more convenient time, thinking you have plenty of time, but more often than not, you will run out of time.  Missed opportunities are the result of thinking we’ll get another chance though one is not guaranteed, and thinking that another day would be better though God’s timetable cannot be improved upon.   The biggest shift in thinking that you and I need to make is this:  our time is to be invested more than it is to be spent.  Spending time is using it in such a way that it does not benefit God’s kingdom.  Investing time is using it in such a way that it brings eternal dividends in the lives of other people and eternal rewards for ourselves to the eternal praise of Jesus.   We all need to remember that every bit of time we are given can be an investment that has a beautiful and bountiful return which appreciates in value throughout all eternity if we will be intentional about how we use it.  For most of us, God doesn’t mean for us to wait until some future day to serve Him by going out in a million-dollar blaze of glory, but rather He wants us to give ourselves to Him in daily nickels and dimes of service to those around us.  Lay up treasures in heaven with how you use your time today, because it’s not what you leave behind that matters most.  It’s what you forward ahead.

Why Are You Here On Earth?

Nov 23, 2020

It’s a question that most of us ask at some point in our lives as we consider the purpose of our lives:  why am I here?  There is this hard-wired desire in the DNA of each us to know the reason we were born and remain alive on this earth.  You may state the conclusion differently than I do, but the words of my personal mission statement offer the basic meaning for why God gets us up each morning: “I exist to know Jesus and make Him known so that God is honored in us and we are happy in Him.”  Starting with ourselves and spreading to our circles of influence, we are after one ultimate objective:  an honored God and happy people.  How do we accomplish this?  By making disciples who make disciples.  A disciple is a follower of Jesus.  Discipleship is the ongoing process of following Jesus.  Disciple-making is the ongoing process of helping others follow Jesus.  The practical reason why you and I haven’t already been called home to heaven is because we have been left here to help other people take the next step in their spiritual journeys with Him toward heaven.   To mature in and multiply our own faith, and help others do the same. To make a difference, make disciples who make much of Jesus! The specific details will vary for each of us, but for every person in the family of God whose heart still beats, we have one common aim and ambition for the rest of our lives:  to make the greatest difference for the greatest length of time.  And there is nothing we can ever do on this side of eternity that will have more significance and more endurance than being used of God to impact the eternities of other people so that He is fully and forever honored by us, and we are fully and forever happy in Him.

The Only Words God Can’t Use

Nov 21, 2020

God sends you to other people to do good works; He also sends you to deliver good news. It’s not enough to model the Christian faith, you must talk about it as well.  More than your political views, weather thoughts, weekend recaps, chit-chat, sports rants and other normal aspects of everyday conversation, people desperately need to hear about Jesus from you. You are an ambassador who speaks on His behalf, shares His message, and sends out His invitation to come find life in Him.   Rather than giving other people pep talks, false hopes and self-improvement strategies for “living their best lives now,” we should point them to the life-giving, life-changing, life-enriching good news of Jesus and all the blessings and benefits He has secured on the cross for those who will trust in Him.   The people we know need to know what we know about Jesus!  When we give practical guidance, it should include a reminder of what Jesus has promised to them and an encouragement to rely on Him.  When we talk of our own lives, we should testify to His faithfulness and goodness towards us.  When we voice our views, we should give the truths of God’s words as the basis for our beliefs.   It’s always about Jesus. So… Tell others about Him.  Encourage others to trust Him.  Help others know Him.  Speak up in faith about your faith and trust God to speak through you as you speak for Him. The only words God can’t use are the ones you don’t say.

You Were Made For This

Nov 20, 2020

God has been preparing you for this and preparing this for you since the day you were born.  He hard-wired things into your DNA, brought about circumstances in your life, nurtured your skills and strengths, put the right people around you, and brought it all together to deploy you for eternal good.  God doesn’t just send you into the mission; He picked you out and prepared you for it.  You were made for this.  You know you are supposed to go, but what are you supposed to do when you get there?  Use what you have been given to let others see who Jesus is to you and through you.  Your unique blend of abilities, experiences, knowledge, opportunities, resources, gifts and strengths were given so you can make Jesus look good with your life!  Let them see that He is treasured by you above all other things so they might be intrigued enough to take a closer look and learn to treasure Him too.  As Jesus has done for you, do for others so they can see what He is like.   Be kind.  Provide help.  Bear burdens.  Speak life.  Warn.  Encourage.  Be patient.  Lovingly correct.  Forgive often.  Serve unselfishly.  Give generously.  Be a blessing.  Never underestimate the power of what God can do through you when you take a small step of faith and make an intentional attempt at loving Him by loving others.  Remember this today and every day:  you can’t do everything; but you can do something.

Your Hope And Happiness In Jesus On Display

Nov 19, 2020

There are one-off instances and ongoing intersections where your life crosses paths with other people, and this is when and where God has sent you on His mission of love.  Your schedule is more than a set of appointments or tasks on a timeline; it is the specific place and period of time that God has ordained for you to carry out your calling.  For most of us, this simply means showing up and showing others what Jesus is like by being a faithful witness for Him while doing the very things we are scheduled to do and doing the very things He wants us to schedule.   We are to let others in, let others see, and let others know why we find our hope and happiness in Jesus while we do our housework or homework, when we work out or cook out, whether we are on the clock or on a vacation.  The reason we do whatever we do and all that we do is the same… If we have an audience, it’s showtime.  If we have a crowd, it’s game time.  If we have an onlooker, it’s prime time.  We just need to take time to point people to Jesus in the everyday moments of life by aiming for the answer to one simple question:  How would He act if He were there instead of us?  Because we are there instead of Him.  That’s why He sent us, to represent Him at the right time and the right place.   When and where are you to speak for and serve like Jesus?  Here and now!  Put on your schedule what God has put on your heart.

Your Zip Code Is Not An Accident

Nov 18, 2020

Your zip code is not an accident.  You live there.  You work there.  You play there.  But God placed you there.  He worked in ways that you could never comprehend or calculate to divinely position you right where you are at this very moment and this very season.  Life didn’t just take you there.  He did.  And He brought you precisely where you are, precisely at this time, precisely to the people around you to represent Jesus to them.  There is only one person that every other person in your life has in common, and that person is you.  An ambassador for Christ is always FROM someone and TO someone; you are sent from Jesus and sent to the specific people in your life. You are sent to your family, your friends, your neighbors, your co-workers, your teammates, and every other person you find yourself with to share the message of God’s love with them. Who do you know that needs to hear good news?  Every.  Single.  Person.   Everyone you know loses their focus, loses their hope, loses their joy and loses their way.  It’s a dark world, and you were sent to the people around you to shine His light.   All of us living in the brokenness need to be reached with or reminded of the good news of what Jesus has done and promises to do for us.  Therefore… Take inventory of those in your life.  Take ownership of the reason you’ve been sent.  Take action wherever you go, however you can to love others like Jesus.

Anything Else Is Too Small A Thing To Live For

Nov 17, 2020

You and I are on earth for a reason, and that reason is this:  God has called us by His grace to know and make known Jesus.  His perfect life. His atoning sacrifice.  His resurrection power.  His heart for people.  His message of love.  His life-transforming hope.  His offer of eternal life.  His amazing grace.  His matchless value.  His endless joy.  His immeasurable benefits. His imminent return. His incredibly good news.  God has graciously transformed our lives and sent us back out to be agents of His transformation in the lives of other people. We are who we are because of what Jesus has done for us; we do what we do because of who we are in Jesus.  Christian is the adjective that is to describe and define every category and moment of our lives as we represent Jesus 24/7 to those in our lives.  As ambassadors for Christ, we have been summoned into the most important work in the universe to spread the message and ministry of reconciliation as God makes His appeal for the hearts of others through us.  The thoughts, feelings, motives, attitudes, words and actions of our lives need to communicate one thing with absolute clarity and certainty:  life with Jesus is far better than life without Him, and eternal life is found only through Him.  Ultimately, we are after this:  Jesus being honored in us and us being happy in Him.   Anything else is too small a thing to live for.

You Have Been Set Free

Nov 16, 2020

Too many of us live as if we are still imprisoned by our sin, sorrow and struggles with no way out of the cell that controls and limits us.  Too often we let our regrets from the past, imperfections in the present and fears of the future enslave us as if we are helpless and hopeless to do anything about them.  Too soon we give up, give in and give out when spiritual victory has already been secured and is almost ready to be seen.  Nothing in our story can nullify the Greatest Story Ever Told about the finished work of Jesus Who has won the ultimate triumph over all enemies for us!  We are more than conquerors through Him! This does not deny the existence of or seriousness of what we are facing and fighting against both inside and outside of us.  Yes, our past may include terrible things we have done or others have done to us.  Yes, our present may be filled with suffering and setbacks.  Yes, our future may find our lives not going the way we hope they will.   But Jesus has made amends for our past, makes provision for our present and will make a way for our future until we have been fully delivered from all foes.  We have been released… from shame, from regret, from joylessness, from emptiness, from vanity, from futility, from fear, from sin, from death. No more shackles.  No more cages.  No more prisons.  Walk out of that cell and in faith follow Jesus.  Don’t live as if you are still in chains.  You have been set free.

Jesus Is The Solid Rock On Which We Stand

Nov 15, 2020

It is hard to know who or what to believe.   It is hard to know what is real and what is fake.  It is hard to distinguish between fact and fiction.  It is hard to know who is telling us the whole truth, who is withholding the truth, who is distorting the truth, who is misinterpreting the truth, and who is creating their own version of the truth. Who can we count on to be honest with us with what we need to hear?  What is the standard by which we can evaluate all other guiding life principles and philosophies? What truth can we live by so we do not live in vain or error? Who can we believe?  Jesus.  The Son of God is Who we can believe.  He always says the right things at the right time in the right way to get the right result in and through our lives, primarily speaking His words to us through THE Word, the Bible.  On what He says, we must:  Base our faith. Pin our hopes.  Entrust our futures.  Find our answers.  Solve our problems.  Build our lives.  It is the solid rock on which we stand; all other ground is sinking sand (Matthew 7:24-27).

You Have Been Blessed; Now Go Be A Blessing

Nov 14, 2020

God has not blessed us with time just so we can use it binge-watching Netflix.  He has not blessed us with money just so we can spend it on more comforts.  He has not blessed us with abilities and skills just so we can serve our own interests and passions.  The generosity of God has been extended to us with blessings of time, talent and treasure that we might both enjoy them ourselves and extend them to bless others.

We are to serve God’s kingdom with God’s gifts as long as there is a baby who is hungry, a single mom who is exhausted, a pastor who is about to call it quits, a teen who needs mentoring, a senior citizen who is lonely, a homeless man who needs a coat, a friend with an unpaid utility bill, a co-worker who feels excluded, a person who is unjustly imprisoned, a divorcee who is hurting, a family member who is depressed, a child who needs foster care, a new Christian who needs discipling, a neighbor who can’t mow her lawn, a believer who is suffering, a fellow human being with a need or a lost soul who has never heard of Jesus.  Those of us who are trusting in Jesus have been entrusted with showing the world His heart for them by being His hands and feet to them.  You have been blessed; now go be a blessing.

We Will Finish The Race

Nov 13, 2020

In a world of seemingly endless uncertainties, there is something that we can be absolutely sure of:  God will finish what He started in us.  There is zero chance He will fail.  God has begun a good work in us, and He will work all things together for good to ensure its completion (Philippians 1:6).  We will keep going.  We will endure.  We will make it. Not because of anything we can do apart from God, but because Jesus is a part of us, enabling us by His grace to persevere to the end when we can echo Paul’s words, “I have finished the race.  I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7) Until then, even when our days include struggles and our walk include stumbles, let us press on in joyful confidence that getting to our heavenly home does not depend upon us but on God at work in us and for us.  God does not start this work and leave us alone to finish it.  He will stay right with us.  He will do whatever it takes.  He will provide all that is needed.  He will take as long as required.  Yes, we work hard by His grace to follow Him closely in loving obedience, but He alone will ensure that we are able to do so every step of the way.  Rejoice as you hold on until the end-before-the-beginning, knowing that God is holding on to you.  On this our eternal security firmly rests:  We will finish the race because He will finish what He started.