And the Winner is -----! (Tuesday)

Devotional...7/16/13

My name is Intrepid.  I’m a reporter. My partner’s name is Spirit. The Holy Spirit.  We walk through God’s Word and find the truth about life.  I like my work. I’m in training.    The Holy Spirit knows what to look for and I follow his directions.  I learn new things, remember something forgotten, or had not understood at the time.

Today we were covering a race.  The participants are anxiously awaiting the call that will send them on the way to the goal.  Cheerleaders consist of family, friends, and strangers. Volunteers space themselves along the route with bottles of water, sweat bands, towels.

The runners are called into position.  Silence settles over the scene.  The starting pistol is fired.  

The race is on!

                            

The voices of the cheerleaders is almost deafening as the surge of runners cross the start line.

The interview with finishing runners revealed some interesting situations. “The man in the lead suddenly fell fast and hard because a bolo rope, like those Australian Gouchos use to capture animals by their legs or wings, had fallen out of his pocket and entangled his feet!  Bruised and bloody he got up, but instead of getting rid of the problem, he kept it!  Not long afterwards it happened again and he dropped out of the race.”   Why did he keep something that was defeating him?

“A lady said she asked God to help her win the race but had good luck items in her pockets. The items didn't necessarily slow her pace, but she continually stopped to pick them up when they fell out.  Weak in body and spirit, she collapsed, clinging to her pockets.”  Why did she insist on carrying useless baggage?

An exhausted young man ignored the encouragement to take water from the sideline cheerleaders. Confident in his own strength, he ran faster. Then he stumbled and laid unconscious.” Will he learn a life’s lesson from this?

“A woman continually wiped sweat off her face and burning eyes, yet wouldn’t take a sweatband or towel to relieve the problem, Because of this, she couldn’t continue to run.”  Why would she reject help from those who had the resource to help her?  

“Discouraging comments were like a heavy weight on their shoulders.  “It doesn’t look like you’re going to make it, pal!”   “Lady, you don’t have a man’s stamina, give it up!”  “The reward isn’t that great, quit while before you end up in the hospital.” 

Listening to the strangers' voices, their ears were deafened to the Voice who had called and was encouraging them to finish the race.

Hebrews 12:1-5

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us and let us run with endurance 

the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes upon Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, 

who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down 

at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart. You have not yet
resisted to the point of shedding blood  in your striving against sin; and you have forgotten the
exhortation which is addressed to you as sons--- 

(V.7) - it is for discipline that you endure; as God deals with you as sons  

(I’m adding "or daughters" since this applies to all Christians.) 

for what father does not discipline?”  

NASB

The Race for the Swift 

 is recorded in 

1Corinthians 9:24-27 

                  ...different contest, ...same discipline.                   

Seems each contest has its own reward.

Written by

Sandy Schott