Finishing Strong

From 2nd Timothy 4:7...I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.
  
I believe there is a Biblical principle of finishing what we have started.   God has ordained for us a number of days on this earth, and we're called to be good stewards of them.   For every time period given to us, I believe that we are to make the most of it.


I thought about this concept recently as I learned about Pusuke.   Pusuke was 26 years old when he died this week...and that's quite remarkable when you consider that Pusuke was of the canine variety.    He was a fluffy, tan Shiba mix, and the world’s oldest dog, according to the Guinness Book of World Records – he died at the advanced age of 26 years and 8 months, after falling ill and refusing to eat.   His story is remarkable in that he almost didn't make it to this point:  In 2008, the dog suffered serious injuries after being hit by a car.  Even though a veterinarian told the owner to fear the worst, Pusuke pulled through surgery.

A couple more facts:   the average life expectancy for a dog is about 13 years, so Pusuke doubled the average.   Also, a dog's age of 26 in human years is between 117 and 185.    


We don't know how long we have here on this earth, but I believe that every day is a gift.   And, the apostle Paul apparently believed in finishing strong, fighting the good fight, and recognizing that God has a purpose for every single one of our days.


We've been talking about finishing strong here at Faith Radio, not because we're going anywhere, but because the end of 2011 is approaching, and as good stewards of God's resources, we would like to finish the year in a positive position...if our listeners collectively give $190,000 between now and December 31, then we will meet our budgetary goals for this year.   Would you stand with us and help us finish strong?