to download the PDF - Rhema

“Keep going,” demands CoachTaylor. “I know he’s heavy. Negotiatewith your body and find morestrength. But don’t you give up onme, Brock.”At this point Coach Taylor is onhis knees shouting at the blindfoldedplayer. “Keep going! Don’t quit! Giveme your best!”Finally Coach Taylorshouts, “Twenty more steps,Brock. Don’t quit! Ten moresteps. Give me your heart!Five more. Come on, Brock!Don’t quit. Don’t quit. Twomore. One more!”When the exhaustedplayer collapses on the field,he’s sure he’s made it to the50 yard line. Imagine his surprisewhen he realizes he’s crawled 100yards with a 160-pound teammate onhis back!Coach Taylor blindfolded his teamcaptain because he didn’t want Brockto quit before he gave his all. You see,Brock could have reached the 50-yard line and quit. Everyone wouldhave congratulated him for going50 yards—it was certainly fartherthan he originally thought he couldgo. But if he had stopped there, hewould have reached only half of hisfull potential.Philippians 4:13 says, “I can doall things through Christ whichstrengtheneth me.” This verse doesn’tsay that you can reach only half or aquarter of your potential. No, you cando everything you are called to do.Are you falling down at the 50-yard line, thinking that’s as far asyou can go? If so, what’s holding youback from going all the way? Haveyou allowed fear, pain, or hardship tostop you?It’s so easy to quit when thingsget hard. Anybody can quit. It doesn’ttake any kind of talent to quit. Butwhy be satisfied with halfway whenyou can push yourself and go the fulldistance?It may be hard to reach your fullpotential, but you can do more thanyou think you can. Like Brock Kelly,you have a lot more inside of you thanyou realize. Maybe you don’t havea coach who will walk beside you,encouraging you every step of the way,but you have the Holy Spirit withinyou. And He will never leave you orCRAIG W. HAGINforsake you—He is walking with youto help you and strengthen you everystep of the way. Make up your mind topush yourself and encourage yourselfin the Lord.The closer Brock got to the endzone, the more his body screamed inpain. He cried out in agony, “It hurts!He’s heavy! I can’t!” But hefound the strength to pushthrough the pain.You may be goingthrough something rightnow and experiencingintense pain. But if youkeep pushing, you willreach the finish line. Then,when you have accomplishedwhat you set outto do, you will hardly remember thepain. When it’s all said and done, youwon’t talk about the pain. No. You’llsavor the victory!In the movie, Brock carried a 160-pound teammate on his back. You mayfeel as though you are doing a “deathcrawl” through life. And you mayfeel like you’re carrying a 200-poundweight on your back. But don’t focuson the weight or the obstacles betweenyou and where you want to be.Like Brock, you will haveto blindfold your eyes to thethings that are holding youback from your goal. Youcan’t allow yourself to thinkabout how bad things are orhow much it hurts. Instead,you must keep your focus onthe prize, on the goal line.Close your eyes to yourcircumstances and focus onJesus. When you do this youcan accomplish somethingthat is impossible. Peterdid this when he steppedout of the boat and walkedon water (Matt. 14:28–31).Many Christians concentrateon the fact that Peterlooked at the wind and thewaves, and then began tosink. Although he lost his focus, he didaccomplish something that was impossible—hewalked to Jesus on water!No matter what you are goingthrough and regardless of how bad itlooks, you can make it to the finishline. If you will determine to focus onChrist rather than on what is going onaround you, then you will succeed.Jesus said, “If thou canst believe,all things are possible to him thatbelieveth” (Mark 9:23). Faith believesin spite of the circumstances. Evenwhen it hurts. So even when thingsdon’t look good, keep believing in God,and keep pressing toward the mark.LUKE 1:37For with God nothing shall beimpossible.With God, there is nothing youcan’t accomplish.LUKE 18:27. . . The things which are impossiblewith men are possible with God.It doesn’t matter whether whatyou’re facing seems impossible, ornot. If you need a miracle, we serve aGod of miracles. We serve a God Whois able!ROMANS 8:31. . . If God be for us, who can beagainst us?If God is for you, you can make it!As long as you don’t quit, there is notany reason why you can’t make it.Let me encourage you to not bemoved by your circumstances. Stoplooking at the wind and the waves,so to speak, and concentrate on JesusWho is your answer. Focus on thefinish line and keep pushing untilyou get there. You can do it when yourealize Who is on the inside of you.You can do all things through ChristWho strengthens you!rhema.org 17