Daily Huddle - Thu Oct 1, 2020 The Final Stretch

Love you all, praying for you,
 
If you’ve ever seen the Kentucky Derby, there are two key parts of that race, brought to everyone’s attention by the announcer.  After a year’s worth of anticipation, the big day in May finally arrives.  Everyone in their Sunday best, guy’s in suits, ladies with their hats, beautiful day, the guy with the trumpet, then the parade of horses coming to the starting gate.  The anticipation is thick when suddenly the clanging sound of every opening gate and the famed announcer’s line – “And they’re off!” a thunder of horses, the crowd roars, everyone hoping their horse will win.  High hopes if their horse has a strong start, chagrin if they’re lagging, because they bet too much money on this.  Jockey’s jockeying for position, the field settles in, horses reaching their stride, jockey’s looking for the inside track, trying to avoid getting boxed in, and then before you know it, the famed announcers most famous line – “And DOWN the stretch they come!”  It’s marks the start of the Fourth Quarter – where everything comes down to this…   October 1 – Nine months down, only three to go.  This is where it really counts, slow start or fast start, this is where the money is made, how do you do - down the stretch? The greatest quarterbacks of all time, are the ones that can come back in the fourth quarter.  And the greatest finisher in all of human history – Jesus Christ...  For Him, it was the Garden of Gethsemane.  Not nearly as exciting as the down the stretch call – this was the moment of truth for him.  Do you fully obey, or not, do you fully trust God’s plan, or not, do you fully submit, or not?  When it’s not always pleasant, when there are some obstacles, even persecution, or just plain hard work ahead – do you finish strong, or bail?  God’s Word says – for the joy set before him, He endured the cross.  The pain and the effort was worth it, for the joy set before him.  Praying that in this fourth quarter, you will finish strong.  How?  Time is of the essence.  It’s the fourth quarter, the final stretch.  Praying that you will review your PiVAT Yearly today.  What did God tell you to do this year?  How are you doing?  If you haven’t even done PIVAT Yearly yet, just do it today.  If there are two days left in the year, or even one.  It’s never too late to get God’s plan for you.  He can’t wait to tell you, it’s good, better than you can imagine, there’s joy set before you!  Down the stretch – the difference between PiVAT and PiVAT Maybe becomes increasingly important!  Your plans always compete with His, it’s human nature, but you have a new nature!  You have a new identity in Christ, and the Holy Spirit lives within you.  And God wants you to run with that new perspective.  His ways are always better than yours.  It doesn’t matter if you had a poor start this year, or even got distracted.  God can make up for lost time.  God’s grace can have you be that horse that comes out of nowhere!  Praying that you will know exactly what God wants you to finish this year.  That your PiVAT Monthly will focus you this month and two more.  That you will know this week, and especially today exactly what God has for you to do!  That you would be diligent, so He gets the glory and you get the blessing.  So your joy is full, and others may come to know the joy that He brings.  This year may have not worked out so far as you expected, maybe some surprises, maybe some disappointments or setbacks.  God may not have revealed everything the last week of December when you did your PiVAT Yearly for this year.  He doesn’t have to.  He will reveal things to come, but He will save some things – so you can learn to walk in the Spirit daily.  Praying that this fourth quarter for you this year will be marked by His Presence, and His Word, by Thanksgiving and Praise, by diligence and joy, by eternal perspective, and fruit that will last.  God wants this to be your best Fourth Quarter Ever!  You’ve got the greatest Coach of all time, and the greatest Overcomer of all time lives within you.  This is gonna be so good!  Just hear and obey, don’t look at the horses around you, run your race, the race He has chosen for you!  See you in the Winner’s Circle… 
 
Love you all,
dad