From J. C. Philpot's Daily Portions
October 9 "Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our
faith." Hebrews 12:2 No one can ever run the race set before him, except by
looking unto Jesus. He is at the head of the race; he stands at the goal;
holding the crown of victory in his hand, which he puts upon the head of the
successful runner. And we can only run on as we view Jesus by the eye of
faith at the right hand of the Father opening his blessed arms to receive us
into his own bosom at the end of the race. Nor indeed can any one really look to him but by the
special gift and grace of God. He must be revealed to the soul by the power
of God; we must behold his glorious Godhead and his suffering manhood by the
eye of faith; and we must view him as the incarnate God; the only Mediator
between God and man. We must see the efficacy of his atoning blood to purge
a guilty conscience; the blessedness of his obedience to justify a needy,
naked soul; the sweetness of his dying love as an inward balm and cordial
against all the thousand ills and sorrows of life. We must see his glory, as
the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth; his suitability to
every need and woe; his infinite compassion to the vilest and worst of
sinners; his wondrous patient forbearance of our sins and backslidings; his
unchanging love, stronger than death itself; his readiness to hear; his
willingness to bless; and his ability to save to the uttermost all who come
unto God by him. Thus the heavenly runner looks not to the course however
long, nor to the ground however rough, not to his own exertions however
multiplied, nor to his own strength whether much or little; nor to
applauding friends nor condemning foes; but wholly and solely to the
incarnate Son of God. Jesus draws him onward with his invincible grace.
Every glance of his beauteous Person renews the flame of holy love; every
sight of his blood and righteousness kindles desires to experience more of
their efficacy and blessedness; and every touch of his sacred finger melts
the heart into conformity to his suffering image. This is the life of a
Christian--day by day, to be running a race for eternity; and as speeding
onward to a heavenly goal, to manifest his sincerity and earnestness by
continually breathing forth the yearnings of his soul after divine
realities, and to be pressing forward more and more toward the Lord Jesus
Christ, as giving him a heavenly crown when he has finished his course with
joy.