REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, provided by Pastor Charles Choe who leads Tapestry Church in Los Angeles, was first posted on June 28, 2014.  Charles is a graduate of University of California, Riverside (BA) and Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div.).

Devotional Thought for This Morning

“Eyes on the Prize”

1 Timothy 6:12

“Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”

I’m not much of a runner, but I’m willing to do anything for a good cause. So I decided to run 10 miles to raise money for a clinic for prenatal babies. But I must admit that about halfway through the run, I was dying. Yes, I wanted to quit; in fact, every muscle in my body was telling me to quit.  Nevertheless, since each mile meant more money, I ran and ran and ran some more, until I finally made it back to that clinic with ten miles under my belt. How could I have finished what I thought I had no ability for? I kept my eyes on the prize, on the finish line. This finish line meant more money for the clinic, and of course, not being a quitter to my sponsors. Keeping my eyes on my goal certainly made all the difference in the world.  

This is what Paul did with Timothy. Paul wanted to steel his protégé for the good fight. He did so by reminding him of the vision of God. Notice how Paul tells Timothy that God is the giver of life. We might feel beaten and disappointed, unable to handle the pressures of life at times, but it is God who renews us with vigor and vivacity. 

God in His grace will give us these moments of refreshment so we will not lose heart when the times of discouragement come. But there’s more: God gives us this renewal or vitality for an even greater purpose, which is to make “the good confession.” To make the good confession is to make God known through Christ to everyone, everywhere. This is the ultimate purpose for our lives. We are to give ourselves to this cause with every ounce of life God gives us; this is what makes life worth living. 

Are you in the good fight? Does the ultimate purpose of your life reflect the purpose to which God has called you? Are you aware that God, the giver of life, has breathed life into you so that you can confess Christ to others? Take some time to acknowledge your need for God, and how your life only makes sense in the light the good confession He has called you to make. 

Prayer: Father, teach me to fight, knowing that You are the author and sustainer of life. Through Your Spirit who lives in me, allow me the same resolution to be a faithful witness that Jesus demonstrated. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Genesis 12