Paul wrote those words from prison. He'd been arrested in Jerusalem, detained for two years in Caesarea, and was then sent to Rome to await trial before the emperor. And so after four years of his freedom being denied him, this amazing missionary says he's still setting goals, pressing on to things that are ahead of him. The picture is that of an Olympic foot-race: in such a race you're not concerned with past territory - in fact looking back can be disastrous - but you're pressing on towards the finishing-line. The word Paul uses here is very vivid indeed: it describes a runner going flat out for the tape. Every muscle, every panting breath, is harnessed towards that goal. Films these days, like Chariots of Fire, depict such scenes in slow motion...

Now what are the things he wants to forget? As we read Paul's letters three categories come to mind: he must forget his handicaps, he must move on from his failures, and he mustn't 'rest on his laurels', his past successes and achievements.

So encourage me, Lord, not to stand still. Life is a race, with a goal, a destiny. May I run that race with courage and confidence. Amen.