Anyone who has ever watched a runner approach the finish line
has seen a remarkable sight.
They don’t slow down.
They don’t glance over their shoulder.
They lean forward.
Every muscle is extended toward the goal ahead.
There is an intensity about their focus.
Nothing behind them matters
as much as what lies just beyond the finish.
That is the image Paul gives us today.
Yesterday,
we reflected on letting go of what lies behind.
Today,
Paul shows us the other half of faithful living.
The Christian life is not simply about leaving the past behind.
It is about reaching forward
to what God has prepared for us.
Scripture Reading
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.
Devotional Reflection
The phrase “reaching forth” paints a vivid picture.
It describes someone stretching
with every ounce of strength
toward something just ahead.
Paul is not drifting through life.
He is pursuing Christ with purpose.
That same invitation is given to each of us.
Faith is never passive.
The Lord continually calls us to grow.
To trust Him more deeply.
To love more generously.
To forgive more freely.
To become more fully the people He created us to be.
None of us has reached the fullness of that calling.
But every day presents another opportunity
to take one more step toward Christ.
It’s comforting to remember
that God is already present
in the future we cannot yet see.
The challenges that await us tomorrow
are not a surprise to Him.
The opportunities He will place before us
have already been prepared by His loving hand.
When we reach forward in faith,
we are not stepping into the unknown alone.
We are following the One who goes before us.
Sometimes that next step requires courage.
Sometimes it requires patience.
Sometimes it simply means remaining faithful in ordinary things.
But whatever lies ahead,
God’s grace will meet us there.
He never calls us forward
without also providing the strength we need to follow.
Ask yourself today:
Where is Christ inviting me to grow?
Perhaps it is in prayer.
Perhaps it is in showing kindness
to someone who has been difficult to love.
Perhaps it is in trusting Him
with a burden you have carried for far too long.
Do not become discouraged
because growth feels slow.
A tree does not become strong in a single season.
Neither does the soul.
Keep stretching toward Christ.
Each quiet act of obedience,
each moment of trust,
each step of faith,
is drawing you closer to the One who has called you.
Closing Prayer
Gracious Lord,
Thank You for never leaving me where I am.
You continually call me to grow,
to trust You more deeply,
and to become more like Your Son.
When I grow comfortable,
stir my heart to seek You again.
When I become fearful of what lies ahead,
remind me that You are already there.
Give me the courage to take the next faithful step,
even when I cannot see the whole path before me.
Stretch my faith.
Expand my love.
Deepen my hope.
And teach me to follow You with my whole heart,
never looking back with regret,
but always reaching forward with joyful expectation.
For every step I take toward You is met by Your unfailing grace,
and every day I follow You brings me closer to the everlasting joy of Your Kingdom.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
Amen.