“Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame and has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12:2‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

If the race before us is exiting the last turn and we have a few feet left to go before we cross the finish line, then we know we can continue to run and we will probably run harder than we have ever run before. But what if our race has 70 laps to go? How do we keep a good pace to finish well the race that lies before us? By looking toward Jesus our coach, the official, and our personal trainer. And we tune out the crowd who is trying to distract us. And we tune into the few people in the crowd trying to encourage us. 

Looking at the world around us we can see that Jesus may be returning soon and we are exiting the last turn and it is time for us to run harder because the world needs to know that God loves them and has sent Jesus to them so that they may spend eternity with Him. If we were to run as hard as we can for the whole 70 laps we can easily fizzle out and grow weary and be less effective for Jesus, but since we have only a few feet left let us press on toward Jesus with all we have. Let us love Him with more of our heart, soul, mind, and strength then we have had the previous laps. 

“Our lives last seventy years or, if we are strong, eighty years. Even the best of them are struggle and sorrow; indeed, they pass quickly and we fly away.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭90:10‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

https://www.bible.com/72/psa.90.10.hcsb

“For at that time there will be great tribulation, the kind that hasn’t taken place from the beginning of the world until now and never will again! Unless those days were limited, no one would survive. But those days will be limited because of the elect.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭24:21-22‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

https://www.bible.com/72/mat.24.21-22.hcsb

“Therefore, my dear brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭15:58‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

https://www.bible.com/72/1co.15.58.hcsb