RUNNING THE RACE

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.”  1 Corinthians 9:24          

          Paul uses the analogy of running a race on several occasions in the New Testament. One is here in his letter to the Corinthian believers and the other is Hebrews 12:1. Running requires endurance, especially distance running.  Our walk with the Lord isn’t a sprint, but rather a long distance run in which we must pace ourselves so as not to burn out before the finish line.

          During any race the runner is tempted to ease up slightly in an effort to rest his muscles. There is always a point where fatigue kicks in and you feel like you need to stop.  Your muscles ache and your legs start to feel heavy.  It’s at that point in the race that you need to push through.  You’ve managed to maintain a rhythm in your running and to continue you must press on until the finish, for that is where your reward lies.

          So it is with believers.  We press on through adversity and pain with the ultimate prize awaiting us when we pass from the world into eternity.  Be vigilant in your walk with Christ.  Serve Him and not yourselves.  Your reward is life everlasting with the Lord.  Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

OUR SARDONIC* WEAPON

“Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.” (James 3:5b-6)

          Many regions of the US are all too familiar with forest fires.  They start with a single spark, perhaps from a lightning strike, perhaps from a careless camper and the chaos begins. Left unchecked a fire can destroy whole lives, either in a physical sense or in a material sense or both.

          So it is with the careless, at times insensitive comments we make.  We speak our mind freely regardless of the fall out.  The results can resemble that of a scattergun** being sprayed across a room.  You never know who will be hurt but you can be sure someone will be.  Why do we let fly words that sting and cut.  Cuts heal but always leave a scar.  What type of emotional or psychological scars have we left on the hearts and minds of some folks without caring?  Our right to free speech isn’t in peril if we hold our tongue.  We are to speak love, kindness, peace, encouragement, mercy, grace and hope to those around us, not sarcastic barbs in an effort to vent our spleen of the angst we have absorbed.  Let it go and allow God to sooth your heartaches and emotional wounds, sometimes from years before.  God loves you and wishes you to speak out of the abundance of mercy and forgiveness He has placed within you.  Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

*   Sarcastic, scornful or cynical.

** Another name for a type of shotgun.

NO UNDERSTANDING NEEDED

“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!”  (Romans 11:33)

          While it’s true that God’s doings can be outside our mental grasp, we can know that whatever He’s up to will be for our greatest good.  We are not asked to understand, we are only asked to trust.  Is God trustworthy?  If we use the Bible as our reference tool then we will find no example of where God has ever failed or forsaken one of His children.  Neither will you find Him reneging on any promise He has made.  If we use scripture as our proof we will find that God can be fully trusted at all times, in all situations.  No exceptions.  The Lord’s wisdom and knowledge are so far higher than ours that it is laughable that we would ever question Him.  We don’t know the future, nor do we know the motivations that drive man’s heart.  God knows all things that can be known.  He is like a trusted guide who knows uncharted terrain like the back of His hand.  We would never think of walking through an overgrown, wolf infested forest at night without someone who knew the way and could protect us.  God is that one who can provide for and sustain us at all times.  His Holy Spirit provides direction and comfort when it is needed.  Trust the Lord, for He is without question trustworthy. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

OUR CHAMPION

“The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves.”  (Zephaniah 3:17a)

          Perhaps it’s because of my love for super heroes, perhaps it’s just my wild imagination, but when I hear that God is a Mighty Warrior I envision a huge, battled tested giant of a man with sword and shield.  His breastplate is brilliant gold, encrusted with the image of a fierce lion; for He is the Lion of Judah.  His gold helmet glistens in the sun.  His pure gold shin guards reflect the coming struggle, yet He is unfazed.  There is nothing on heaven or earth or beneath the earth that can defeat Him.  He is Almighty Jehovah God, the Mighty Warrior who saves.

            Now God is not a man, but rather an unseen spiritual deity; however, when the devil prowls near us I believe that mighty warrior can come alive in us.  We can stand tall in the face of any adversary and by faith bring victory to our situation.  God is with us, He is in fact within us in the form of His Holy Spirit.  While there are other verses that let us know God is with us always, I think Deuteronomy 31:8 says it best:  “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

OUR MYSTERIOUS GOD

“As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.” (Ecclesiastes 11:5)

         The things of God are mysterious, as if shrouded in a haze-like fog. We believe He’s there working on our behalf, but we cannot see any of what is taking place in the spirit realm.  Though we cannot understand all His workings, still we can always trust Him to do that which He has promised.  I see no record to the contrary throughout scripture. 

The wind goes where it wills and so does the Spirit of God.  Just because we cannot see Him doesn’t mean He isn’t there.  We see the effects of the wind, though we cannot actually see the wind with the naked eye.  If we could see God and knew all that He was going to do faith wouldn’t be necessary; however, scripture is clear that without faith we cannot hope to please God (Hebrews 11:6).
          Through the eyes of faith we see babies born who are fearfully and wonderfully made by the hand of God.  He does as He pleases for our ultimate good and His greatest glory.  We are not asked to understand, only to accept that He is at work in each situation and He will reward those who stay faithful.  Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

EVERPRESENT

“Where can I go from your Spirit?  Where can I flee from your presence?  If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.” (Psalm 139:7-8)

       When we say God is omnipresent, we mean that He’s present in all places at the same time.  Depending on the type of life you lead that can be very good news or very bad news. 

       If you are running from God, you should know that you will never outrun Him and never escape His ever-watching eye.  You have nothing to be afraid of because He cares for you. His love transcends all human emotions.  It’s so intense and powerful that His Son died on a cross just to show you how great the Father’s love truly is. We don’t fully comprehend it, because we have nothing this side of heaven that compares to it.

       If you are running towards God, you should know that He is waiting with open arms to receive you.  We never need fear God in the sense that we should be afraid of Him.  He is patient and kind; slow to anger, abounding in mercy. (Psalm 145:8)  God’s desire is to make us all He knows we can be through the work of His Holy Spirit who resides within us.  He knows our every move and causes or allows all things for our ultimate benefit and His greatest glory.  Stay close to the Lord and trust Him to take good care of you.  His will not fail you. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

HEALTHY FEAR

“Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”  (Proverbs 31:30)

        While I know the 31^st chapter of Proverbs is about the characteristics of a virtuous, Godly women, I believe this verse could apply to either gender.  In this day and age, the exterior is all that seems to matter.  Buff bodies, nips and tucks, along with minds bent on doing whatever pleases matter more than the internal or the eternal.  Even some believers seem more afraid of aging then anything else.  A healthy fear of the Lord will allow us to keep our heart from withering with fatigue and stress.  Fear here isn’t being afraid, but rather having an abiding reverence and awe for the magnitude of who God truly is.  Living for yourself ends up leading to shallow, empty existence that will bring you neither lasting peace, contentment nor fulfillment.  Without a close relationship with God there may be moments in time when you are satisfied, but they will be fleeting.

          The reason an individual who fears the Lord is to be praised is because they get it. They grasp the fact that there is something out there that is bigger then themselves.  That something is a someone and it happens to be Almighty God. Do you truly want to spend the bulk of your time doing things that have no eternal significance? God has given us a second chance and an opportunity to represent Him to a lost and dying world.  Don’t blend in, stand out … for Christ.  Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!