As we approach the end of 2025, you may be feeling the weight of unmet expectations. Maybe the goals you set, the plans you made, or the things you hoped to accomplish didn’t turn out the way you imagined. Life has a way of surprising us with interruptions, detours, and challenges we never saw coming.
Today, we’re looking at what it means to endure the race God has set before us. Many believers assume that once they come to Christ, life should become easier. But Scripture teaches the opposite—our walk with God will be filled with spiritual resistance. We have an enemy who wants nothing more than to distract us, discourage us, and wear us down.
The Bible reveals that satan was not always our adversary. He was once a high-ranking angel created to worship God. But pride led him to rebel, seeking glory for himself instead of giving it to God (Isaiah 14:12–15; Ezekiel 28:12–17). His rebellion cost him everything. Ever since, his goal has been to pull people away from God, reminding them of their past, magnifying their failures, and whispering that the race is too hard to keep running. And ultimately cause them to question God.
But here is the good news: satan may try to trip you, but he cannot take you out.
If you belong to Christ, His Spirit gives you the strength to endure.
That’s why passages like Philippians 3 are essential—they remind us that the Christian life is not about coasting. It is about pressing forward, keeping our eyes on Jesus, and refusing to quit. Much like an athlete in training, we lean in, push through, and run with purpose.
As you reflect on this passage, remember: the enemy wants you stuck, but God calls you forward.
Philippians 3:12–14 (NKJV)
“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
These verses speak to every believer who has ever felt “in-between.”
Not who you once were… but not yet who you want to be.
Let’s look at Paul’s four powerful principles for moving forward when life feels unclear or discouraging.
- “Not that I have already attained…” — You are still a work in progress
Paul openly admits he hasn’t “arrived.” He is still growing, still learning, still being shaped by God.
This should lift a burden off of us.
You don’t have to have it all figured out.
Your faith is not measured by perfection—but by perseverance.
“He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
—Philippians 1:6 (NKJV)
If you feel unfinished, it’s because you are. But God is not finished with you.
- “Forgetting those things which are behind…” — Your past is not your identity
Paul had a painful past—full of pride, mistakes, and even persecution of Christians.
Yet he refused to let his past determine his future.
“Forget” doesn’t mean erasing memory, but refusing to live chained to what Jesus has already forgiven.
“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
—2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV)
Your past may explain you, but it does not define you. And surprisingly, I have discovered, it is most often in the unplanned detours of life that God grows me the most. It is during the unexpected challenges, that I am required to dig in and lean in more, which grows my patience, my faith, my spiritual muscle, and my dependence on God.
- “Reaching forward to those things which are ahead…” — Faith leans toward the finish line
The word Paul uses is athletic—like a runner stretching forward with intensity.
Faith is not passive. It is active endurance.
“…let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…”
—Hebrews 12:1–2 (NKJV)
Most of the Christian life is not a sprint—it is a marathon.
Endurance develops when our eyes are fixed on Jesus, not on our circumstances.
- “I press toward the goal for the prize…” — Jesus is the prize
The goal is not success, comfort, or personal achievement.
The prize is Christ Himself. As we daily pick up our cross and follow Him, we are running our race the way God intended us to.
“Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” —Luke 9:23 (NKJV)
“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”
—Galatians 6:9 (NKJV)
Pressing on may not always feel glorious—but it is always worth it.
Making This Personal
Where do you feel stuck today?
- Are you looking backward instead of forward?
- Are you letting past mistakes hold you hostage?
- Are you discouraged during the “in-between” season?
Remember:
- You are not defined by your past.
- You are not stuck in your present.
- You are not running aimlessly into the future.
You belong to Jesus. And because you belong to Him, you can press on.
Reflection Question
What’s one area of your life where you’ve been tempted to give up—and what is one small step of faith you can take this week to move forward?
Prayer
Lord, thank You that my past is forgiven, my present is in Your hands, and my future is secure in You. Strengthen me to press on even when I feel weary. Help me to keep my eyes on Jesus—the goal, the prize, and the joy of my life. Amen.
Dale Black
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God’s clarity, favor, and anointing
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Strength, endurance, and focus
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God’s provision for every step
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Perfect timing and divinely opened doors
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Words that honor both the man I am writing about and the Lord we serve
Dale
Dear Captain Black,
I wrote to you years ago when my dad Captain David Cronin suddenly went on to be with the Lord and Jesus led me like a magnet to your book about heaven days after. Since then, on May 11, 2022 my beautiful daughter Moriah Wilson was murdered in Austin Texas as she was there to participate in a gravel bike race. It was a high profile tragedy due to her gift as a champion athlete. A netflix documentary about her and this tragedy is coming out this spring and I ask that you pray her story would have God’s fingerprints throughout. Some of these verses in your piece above include those on my fridge since her early years and were implanted in her heart. She wrote in her journal that God had a plan for her life and I have claimed this truth for our family as we have suffered through this season of loss. Hope has been the theme of this story and God has and is using it to reach those seeking answers. I am so excited about your new book and will keep all your requests in my prayers. I praise the Lord for all he has done and continues to do in your life as you truly keep your eyes on Christ Jesus so faithfully. May he bless you in mighty ways and those you reach for His glory- Amen
With deep gratitude and love,
Karen Wilson
Dear Karen,
Thank you for writing and for trusting me with something so sacred. I remember hearing from you years ago about your dear father, and my heart aches with you over the loss of your precious daughter, Moriah. There are no words adequate for such sorrow, yet I am deeply moved by the way you continue to cling to Christ and to the hope He alone provides.
I will absolutely pray that as Moriah’s story is shared, God’s fingerprints will be unmistakable—that hearts would be drawn to Him, that truth and eternal hope would rise above tragedy, and that her life would continue to bear fruit for God’s glory. The Scriptures she treasured and the faith she carried were not in vain. The Lord truly does have a plan, even when we cannot yet see it, and He is near to the brokenhearted.
Thank you for your prayers, your encouragement, and your faithfulness in the midst of such loss. May the Lord continue to surround you and your family with His peace, strength, and comfort, and may He use Moriah’s life to point many to Jesus.
With gratitude and prayers,
Dale
Pleased to learn you are penning a new book. Anxious to.learn more about it! Who is the ioice of the ndividual best known as since the invention of electricity?
My God bless your words.
I have much to say. Your message today is wonderful and hopefully relevant to many people. It reminds me of my imagined meeting Jesus in my imaginary tale A Walk Through Heaven. I would quote it here for the reader, but I think it is too lengthy. Basically, in my meeting with Jesus he affirms all Dale has said regarding my past and my future and my present. In my story Jesus’ words affirm what Dale is telling us. Get a copy of A Walk Through Heaven and read it for yourself, The book is small (50+ pages) and cheap ($5 on Amazon).
Second, I am glad to hear of the new book. I look forward to reading it. I can understand Dale’s experience writing because I have just finished a short novel, My Freshman Year: First Book, that exhibits Christ-like character throughout and hopefully will be an inspiration to many, especially young people like college students. Now I am working on a sequel because I ended that novel after six weeks because so much wonderful had happened and I wanted to leave the reader on a high inspired note. I already have inspiration for an end times novel,”Life in the 2030s,” In it I am going to emphasize many things to be aware of and how trusting God will become so much more important. I am hoping it will be of significant help as those times are rapidly approaching. It will combine prophecy, scientific events, and political events with some things Dale has already shared with us and other thins God has inspired and will continue to do. You can pray for me as you pray for Dale. Another pray request is I do not have an outlet to share my writing with many people. I need some means of sharing the insights and inspiration God gives me with others. Thank you.
P.S. Dale, With macular degeneration as I have, I find white letters on a black background are hard to read. y
I agree that white letters on black background are harder to read than black letters on white background.
Dale,
I read your first book a long time ago and plan on reading the next one shortly. I know it will also be a great blessing. I watched your interview with Janie tonight on Youtube. I was in an auto crash when I was only 26 and was not expected to ever walk again, according to the doctors. I was paralyzed from my neck down. A few weeks after my injury God sent someone from above to move my big toe on my left foot. From that moment on I knew I would walk again and with God’s help I did. I wrote about it in my memoir, “When Mountains Move” published in 2004. Eight years ago I had a bad fall and re-injured my spine. I can walk some with a walker but have been confined to a wheelchair most all the time. You sharing about the paralyzed man who thought he had nothing left to give God struck a note. His gift was prayer. I traveled for 30 years singing songs the Lord gave me and sharing about my “big-toe miracle.” For the last few years I’ve wondered why God has left me here, but you helped me see that God has a plan for my life now as well as then. Would you help me pray to find that plan?
Thank you for sharing your story and your tender heart.
Sandra Miller
Sandra, thank you for sharing such a powerful and moving testimony. Your story of God’s faithfulness—from the “big-toe miracle” to the years of ministry that followed—is deeply humbling and encouraging. The Lord has clearly used your life to bring hope to many, and He is not finished with you.
Seasons may change, but God’s purpose never does. Sometimes the platform looks different, yet the impact can be just as eternal. Prayer, encouragement, and faith spoken from a tested heart carry tremendous power. I would be honored to pray with you that the Lord would make His purpose for this season clear, strengthen you, and continue to use your life to glorify Him and minister to others.
Thank you for your kind words and for your obedience to God through every chapter of your journey.
Thank you for sharing your message of the love of Jesus and the truth of the Word. Thank you for sharing what Jesus has done for you in the books you’ve written and YouTube videos. Please pray my adult child will receive this blog that I am forwarding which will minister life and truth. Thank you
Thank you so much for your kind and encouraging words. I’m deeply grateful that the Lord has used my testimony, books, and videos to point others to Jesus and the truth of His Word. I will absolutely pray for your child—that their heart would be open and receptive, and that the Holy Spirit would minister life, truth, and peace as they read this. God knows exactly how to reach each of us, and no prayer is ever wasted. Thank you for sharing, and may the Lord continue to strengthen and encourage you.