Joining the Team

1 John 3:1

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we

should be called  children of God! And that is what we are!

A running store in my community periodically invites athletes to join its running team. Runners are asked to submit an application and list information about recent race results.

When I filled out my application, I was apprehensive because I hadn’t been competing that long, and my results were not impressive. I fumbled through an explanation the day I turned in my application and tried to promise the store manager that I would work hard to improve my running. But the store manager told me that speed and victory were not necessarily the sole purpose. She told me that being on the team simply meant that I loved to run and wanted to be an ambassador for the store. My ambassadorship might include victories and medals, but my real purpose was to be part of a community of people who loved running.

Now that I’ve run with the team for years, I see the fulfillment of its purpose. The Run On! team members often bring home trophies, but win or lose, our goal is to encourage others to run. Team members can easily be spotted at the races; we wear bright red uniforms with the words “Run On” in large, bold letters. Our uniforms and our words point people back to the store where they, too, can become runners and be equipped for their workouts.

Participation on God’s “team” is similar. We do not have to do things on God’s team to earn his favor, and our invitation to join the team is based on love. We do not need to accomplish certain goals to remain on the team. Our membership is based on an invitation that will not be revoked, despite our losses and defeats. And the victories we have here on Earth point others to the one that fills us with love and equips us for the work He calls us to do.

The teams we join on earth will hopefully support, strengthen, and encourage us. But the team we have joined in Heaven is eternal. Rejoice today, that your inclusion in that team is not based on the things you do, but rather on the unfailing love of our eternal God.

Thank you, Father, that you have made us heirs of Your eternal kingdom. Thank you that inclusion in your kingdom is not based on anything we have done, but is solely because of Your love. Helps us, Lord, to work to further Your kingdom, not because it is required, but because of the grace you have given us. In Jesus’ name we pray, AMEN.

Chasing the Runner

Psalm 23:6

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all of the days of my life.

Unless you have won every race you have ever entered, you know what it’s like to chase someone. You pick that person out, maybe even before the race starts, and you focus all your energy and purpose on overcoming him. Nothing is more important than tracking him down – victory cannot be achieved without overtaking him.

In today’s Bible verse, David says that God’s goodness and mercy shall follow him all the days of his life. But the goodness and mercy – God’s unfailing love – are not just following David. Rather, God is actively pursuing David – chasing him down, attempting to overcome him. But God’s purpose in the race is different. He is tracking David down to bless him. He seeks to shower him with his unfailing love and forgiveness.

The best part is that God seeks you in the same way. He selected you before the race even started. He picked you out deliberately as the one He would pursue. And no matter how fast or how far you run, no matter where you try to go, He is there. Nothing is more important to Him than tracking you down. But He is not trying to pass you to win a race. The victory has already been won, and He seeks to share it with you.

Sometimes we fail to see God’s love in our lives. Our sinful perspective tells us that God’s love comes and goes, that His attention wanes, that His love depends on our current condition or actions. We can be convinced that we have gone to a place where He cannot or will not come after us. We think He will grow weary of us and give up. Nothing could be further from the truth. Every single day of our lives, God tirelessly, endlessly, actively, rigorously chases us with his love, mercy, faithfulness, and loving kindness. Ask Him to show you that love in your life today! 

God of unfailing love, open my eyes today to see You and Your unending pursuit of me. Slow me down in this race, that I may allow that love to catch up to me, to enter me, to fill me completely. In Jesus’ name I pray, AMEN.

Waiting

Isaiah 40:31

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength;

they shall mount up with wings as eagles;

they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Probably the worst experience for a runner is injury. Over the course of my running career, I have had several injuries, and even as I revise this devotion today, I am in the middle of a long, slow recovery from back surgery.

When we are sidelined from running, it is very difficult to feel any hope or enthusiasm. Depression sets in and jealousy and envy sneak in as we watch the rest of the running community carry on seemingly without a care in the world. Waiting can be more painful than the injury itself. When we focus on the injury, hope for the future begins to fade.

God talks to us in His word about the struggle of waiting. But He doesn’t just tell us to do it and get over it. Instead, he gives us a very unusual promise. He tells us that during our time of waiting, our strength will increase. Our patience can grow as we wait for Him to fulfill what He is working in our lives.

Doesn’t that seem counter-intuitive? My first reaction during a time of waiting is to grow impatient and irritated. Human nature tells me that the thing I am waiting for is no longer worth it and that I should turn my attention and focus to something I can attain immediately. But God, with His unfathomable wisdom, tells me just the opposite. God promises that while I wait, trust, and hope in Him, He will increase my strength. The promise is true for all who believe and trust in Him: spiritual strength is found, renewed, and increased when we wait.

What are you waiting for right now? Do you believe that there is purpose to your waiting and that God will faithfully provide what you need according the His will? Let’s pray for renewed strength and trust in Him as we wait together for the fulfillment of his plans for our lives.

Dear God, waiting is one of my least favorite things to do. As I focus on my situation and the burdens in my life, I begin to lose hope. But You show Your abundant love for me by blessing my waiting with a precious gift: strength. Father, let my waiting never be in vain. Instead, increase my strength while I wait upon You and Your purpose for my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, AMEN.

Following the Rules

Psalm 19:7

The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul.

The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.

The excitement and anticipation I felt about my first duathlon rapidly went away when I picked up my race packet. The folder that included my bib and bike number was printed with “important instructions” on the outside. These instructions demonstrated the proper way to put the number to the bike but also included, in large bold print, all the rules and regulations of the race course:

…Race numbers must be clearly visible at all times: one minute penalty. Equipment must be placed under the bike rack where your bike is hanging: one minute penalty. No head phones may be worn at any time: three minute penalty...

The directions overwhelmed me. I worried about the rules that I had to follow and the penalties that would be imposed if I strayed from them. The commands took away my enthusiasm. I wondered why there had to be so many directives and why the race organizers had to take all the fun out of everything.

How often do we look at God’s “rules” in the same way? He calls us to control ourselves – our words, our thoughts, our actions. Sometimes we view His commandments as a list of rules that take the fun out of life. Yet, as we come to know and trust in Christ, we are blessed with the understanding that His instruction is not a list of rules to take the fun out, but rather a code for living that protects us. God wants to keep us safe, spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally.

The rules of the duathlon were instituted to protect each participant, to free the athletes from potential harm, and to allow us to fully enjoy the race. The rules that God commands serve the same purpose. The law does not oppress us, it frees us to draw near to God. It allows us to worship Him, to glorify Him, and to freely live according to His purpose for our lives. And even when we find that we have strayed from the rules, we are not imposed penalties, but offered forgiveness through Christ. What a loving Lord we are called to follow! 

Father, thank you for loving me enough to protect me through Your commandments. Your law is perfect, Lord, and it revives my soul. Teach me your ways, Lord, and strengthen me to follow Your commands. In Jesus’ name I pray, AMEN.

Celebrating That We Are Heard

James 5:16b

The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. 

You have probably been told to train hard and then to let race day be a celebration of that training. This is great advice for runners. After you have trained diligently for months, you should indeed go into the race experience with confidence and expectation. You should not focus on the “what ifs” but instead count on what you have done and look for the results. On race day, there should be no doubts or lack of certainty.

Our lives as believers can be the same. If you have prayed about something, you should not only assume that God has heard, but you should begin to celebrate that God is working on your behalf. If you pour out your heart with the needs of the day, you should trust that God will give according to His perfect will. After all, God invites and encourages us to come before Him with our needs. He reminds us that He is more than able to supply everything we need to glorify Him. He even tells us in our text today from the book of James that our prayers are powerful and effective.

So when you have finished praying and reading the Bible, what comes next? Do you face the future with celebration, knowing that He who is trustworthy and faithful has heard your prayer and will take care of you? Or do you look instead to the mountain of trouble that lies ahead. Do you look to the One who will see you through or do you focus on the “what ifs” of the race? Do you believe that no one has heard your prayer or do you believe that your prayer is powerful and effective?

Our God is amazing that He is always ready and available for us and tells us that our prayers to him are effective. Let’s pray for faith and trust in that promise. Then let’s face the future as a celebration knowing that God never forsakes His children and always keeps His promises.

Lord, You tell us that our prayers to You are powerful and effective because we are righteous through Jesus’ sacrifice. Help us to remember this promise and to trust in You. Help us to live our lives each day as a joyful celebration that You are in control. In Jesus’ trustworthy name we pray, AMEN.