Galatians 6:8

One of the movies I remember seeing on TV as a kid was the movie, "Ben-Hur," starring Charleton Heston. The movie follows the life of a man by the name of Judah Ben-Hur during the time of Jesus. Out of jealousy, a former friend accuses Ben-Hur of a crime he didn't commit and manages to have him sentenced to a life of slavery and his family to prison. After many years of twists and turns, Ben-Hur finds himself in a dangerous chariot race competing against the same former friend—the very man responsible for ruining his life and the life of his family. The former friend is determined to do anything to get Ben-Hur killed or injured in the race. But Ben-Hur, influenced by a new Teacher from Nazareth, is determined not to give in to revenge but simply to run the race.

Years later, it was time for the closing devotion at a church conference I was attending. The pastor for the closing devotion stepped to the front. He spoke very little. In essence, he said this: "You and I, as Christians, approach life very differently from the people of this world. Keep that in mind as we watch the following." And with that, he turned to a large video screen and played the famous chariot race scene from the movie, "Ben-Hur."

There they were again: Ben-Hur and his former friend. We watched as Ben-Hur's bitter rival knocked one competitor after another out of the race, using every lethal trick at his disposal. Then he bore down on Ben-Hur. But his obsession was his undoing. He lost the race and lost his life. Ben-Hur finished the race and was victorious.

For each of us there, the devotion's point was clear. When you and I, as God's forgiven people in Christ, entrust ourselves to the Lord's will for our lives, we know how the race is going to end. The race will be difficult. It will be painful and hard. But we know how it will end.

And that's all we need to know.