Vs. 1 …were all under the cloud…. THEOPHANY—visual appearance of God. It was God’s presence in the wilderness that protected them. He’s always with us even though we don’t always “feel” like He’s there.

Vs. 2 …They were all baptized into Moses….

Strange quotation, don’t you think? Not making Moses a god. As they passed through the waters of the Red Sea, they broke the ties with Egypt and were now dependent upon God through Moses. God sent Moses to be their earthly leader. God always provides leaders for His people. When God gets ready to something big, He sends a baby to grow to fulfill that role. Whenever we have a baby dedication, we should ask, “Is this the child God has sent for a big work?”

Vs. 3-4 They all ate the same spiritual food [4] and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.

Vs. 6-11 Now these things occurred as examples, to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.

Vs. 13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

It would be a hollow message if I had to quit at the previous truth and declare that God drops us when we’re in trouble. Truth is God sent His son to take our punishment for us. We can receive God’s forgiveness by believing in His Son, asking for forgiveness from our sins and sinful nature, and turning to live a life of obedience to Him. This is magna-hyper-good-news-on-steroids good news.

Two weeks ago Judy and I were in Providence, Rhode Island, during the time of the Ironman competition. The participants were doing a half triathlon, which means they would run a half marathon, bicycle for a long ways and swim an insane distance (spoken by a non-swimmer). All told, they would cover 70.3 miles. Providence is hilly, so the course included many hills. We watched them as we made our way to church that Sunday morning, watched them as we walked to lunch, then watched many of them finish the race. What was amazing to me was the inordinate amount of support they got from the bystanders. Many of the watchers were family members cheering on their husband/father/wife/mother/brother/sister/grandmother (yes, we watched a 65 year old lady finish the race). But many of the watchers had no one in the race they knew. But still they cheered. The race ended on the lawn of the state house, another up-hill climb. An announcer called out the names and cities of residence of each runner as he/she finished. Everyone went wild as each athlete finished his or her race. What an amazing sight to behold.

Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Tim. 4:7, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith….” Paul included in his letter some of the challenges he had faced and how many people had deserted him along the way. Many times he had to go it alone. It hit me as I read Paul’s testimony that our church should be like the Ironman crowd. We should be encouraging one another to finish the race strong and to keep the faith. I’m afraid too often we do just the opposite. If someone stumbles we ignore their plight and leave them alone. What we need to do is help them up and encourage them to keep on running the race. We should be cheering each other on, and especially as we get older and closer to the finish line of our lives. You’d think it would be easier as one gets older, but I’m discovering it’s not. It would be so easy to get cranky and expect the younger folks to cater to me.

Well, I finished the two letters to Timothy today and am glad. God worked me over through these letters and I’m ready to move to something else. The challenge is for me to apply what God has taught me. But then, that’s always the challenge for all of us. Let’s encourage one another to finish strong. I need the encouragement and have a suspicion you do too. Go baby, you can do it!

You’ve made it through another work week. I don’t pretend to know what you’ve faced this week, but I remember my days on the road, both as a consultant and as a salesman. When I was selling medical equipment I had a boss who thought my role included being his punching bag. Oh, he never hit me with his fists—he beat me up with words.

            During those days I lived for the weekends. I craved worship. Bacon Heights was a haven for me and helped me get ready to face the next week. I lived for words of affirmation. (When you earn your keep by making continual cold calls to members of the medical community who lack a prior knowledge of your product—well, it’s not an easy way to make money.)

            If you’re making your way home to lick your wounds and, hopefully, hear a few kind words, I offer some hope. 2 Timothy 2:19 tells us, “The Lord knows those who are His.” You might not feel like God remembers your name, but He does. In the midst of your challenges, remember the rest of this verse, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord abstain from wickedness.” My most vulnerable time during my sales days came toward the end of the week when the weight of the week was burdensome. Fortunately, God was faithful during those days and 1 Corinthians 10:13 was proven time and again in my life. That passage says, “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it.”

            Weary Christian, take heart! The weekend is here and we get to worship together Sunday. It’s my privilege to preach this weekend and I’m speaking on the topic of God’s faithfulness. I hope to see you and for you to hear an encouraging word.