The race is not to the swift. For those of us who think we are swift, this is depressing news. We toil away in obscurity while others with less talent are given promotions and recognition. We were "Most Likely to Succeed" in high school, but now the class loser is on the cover of "Success" magazine and we are all nobodies.

But Ecclesiastes is not the only biblical book to talk about the life as a race. Remember Hebrews 12:1-3? It's true that the fastest don't always win in this life. But the race isn't over. Living as a Christian is not a sprint, but a marathon. And we do not run alone. At the finish line waiting for us we see Jesus himself. He ran the race before us and He shouts encouragement, "I finished. So can you!" Jesus knew personally how the innocent suffer. He knew the righteous were persecuted.

But he didn't give up. So, there's good news. The race isn't over. The results are not in. We win this race not by finishing ahead of others, but simply by finishing.