“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” — 2 Timothy 4:7
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Training on obstacle courses can be a good way to improve speed, strength, agility and endurance. Some people even race in obstacle-course competitions. An obstacle course is tough. Athletes scale walls, crawl quickly under wires or nets, run, jump and adapt to all kinds of hurdles. It tests a person. Many people collapse along the way and struggle to finish.
Even though we want life to be easy, it’s more like a difficult, long-term training exercise rather than an easy walk to the mailbox.
That’s what Adoniram Judson learned when he became a missionary. In 1812, Adoniram and his wife, Ann, traveled to India and soon settled in Burma, which is modern-day Myanmar in Southeast Asia. They took a long journey by boat to the other side of the world. Along the way, many obstacles jumped in the way as they tried to deliver God’s Word to people. They had to learn a new language, which took time, but Adoniram translated the Bible and other books into the Burmese language. During his first six years, he didn’t see one convert to Christianity, even though he faithfully shared the Good News of Jesus. It was similar to when Paul wrote, “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow” (1 Corinthians 3:6).
Ann served by her husband’s side for 14 years, but when she died, Adoniram went into deep mourning. He isolated himself for 40 days out in the wilderness, but then came out of his incredible grief with more determination to share the glorious Gospel with everybody. He was a widower for eight years before marrying a widow of a missionary named Sarah Boardman. She was a wonderful partner for Adoniram for 11 years, but she also died on the mission field. As Adoniram faced new difficulties every day, he learned more and more that God is able to carry us through everything. He married once again to Emily Chubbock, a famous Christian author, and they enjoyed four wonderful years on the mission field before Adoniram went to Heaven in 1850 after developing lung problems.
During Adoniram’s 35-plus years of missionary service, he spent 19 months in prison, even though he didn’t commit any crimes. The Burmese authorities didn’t trust foreigners. He got frustrated because he knew he was innocent, but he endured and grew stronger. Then he witnessed the deaths of several of his young children on the mission field. Even so, God healed his broken heart many times and helped him to finish the work God gave him to do. He could echo the words of Paul when he said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).
Obstacles in our own race can be discouraging and may even threaten our will to continue on. But keep looking to God to help you finish the work He’s given you to do. He will not fail you. Trust God to carry you through every obstacle of life, making you stronger to endure and walk in His purposes for your life.
— Bill Kent, Pastor of Memorial Baptist Church, Sylvania, Georgia
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