Keep Running

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:7-8 (NLT)

The story was told in Runners World magazine (8/91) of a woman named Beth Anne DeCiantis. You may have heard it but I am going to retell it here because it is so inspiring.

Beth was running to qualify for the Olympics in the marathon event. In order to qualify, a runner had to run the 26.2 miles in two hours and forty-five minutes. She started off well and ran without a problem until she hit mile 23. She had two minutes left to qualify as she headed into the last push. Her foot came down unevenly and she stumbled and fell. She knelt there dazed. She was down for 20 precious seconds. The bystanders yelled encouragement. She got up and began to walk. She had less than a minute left. She made it to five yards, ten seconds remaining and she fell again. The crowd yelled for her to get up! As the final seconds ticked away, it did not seem like she was going to make it. She started to crawl. Just as time was running out, she stretched and reached across the finish line on her hands and knees. She finished.

What inspires you? What causes you to keep running the race? Is it Jesus?

In 2 Corinthians 5:14 Paul says that the love of Christ’s love compels us. Not our love for him but his love for us. Paul’s life seems to always be a grueling race. He endured so much. Yes he was driven by one thing, Jesus love for him and sharing that with others.

Is that what motivates you today? Is that what inspires you? What drives you to keep going when the going gets tough? Jesus loves you. I hope that is what keeps you going.

Are You A Gideon?

Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.
    I have called you by name; you are mine. Isaiah 43:1 (NLT)

In Judges 6 the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon. He addresses him by saying "“Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!” Now this is rather odd because Gideon was actually hiding. The Bible says he was threshing wheat at the bottom of the wine press to hide the grain from the Midianites.

And later, as Gideon is called to do God’s work he says I can’t. My tribe is weak, my family is weak and I am weak. God reassures him.

Gideon again questions with “Show me a sign.” (As if an angel sitting in from of you isn’t enough of a sign.) The angel does and Gideon realizes it is an angel. The angel gives Gideon instructions to pull down the temple of Baal. Gideon, still afraid, decided to do it at night. Under cover.

Later, Gideon again is called to fight a battle and again he asks for a sign.

Do you see the pattern? God calls. Gideon doubts. God delivers. Gideon really seems like he is afraid of everything. And my thoughts turned to us. Aren’t we a little like Gideon? OK. Maybe a lot like Gideon. I want to sit here and say WOW! He was a chicken. But in reality, so am I sometimes.

God calls. We doubt and ask for signs instead of moving out when God says move. God gives signs and we ask “Is that you?”

I wonder if that is why God tells us not to be afraid so many times in the Bible. He knows that we need to hear it. A lot.

Let Not

You must not let yourselves be distressed—you must hold on to your faith in God and to your faith in me.  John 14:1 (PHILLIPS)

The day started off rather well. It was a bright morning, birds were singing and I was looking forward to accomplishing my tasks. Then, I remembered. I remembered a meeting I had that was not going to be fun. The knot grew in my stomach and I began to stress about it.

As I continued to ponder the possible outcomes, I got more anxious. Like, debilitating, can’t move forward anxious. And I thought, “This is going downhill fast. God, I need help.” Today’s verse popped into my head.

Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in Me. (that version my mom made me memorize when I was little.)

The words “Let not” began to resonate. Let not. Don’t let. Fight the anxiety. But how? Honestly, I wasn’t sure how do to that but I decided to stay focused on those words. At least if I had something to focus on, no one would see the turmoil inside.

As I drove to the meeting, the knot grew I repeated the verse. “Let not your heart be troubled.” Trust me.

As I walked into the building.

“Let not your heart be troubled.”

As I stood at the elevator. Uh oh. The feeling is getting worse.

“Let not your heart be troubled.”

And after each agenda item was read before we got to me. “Let not your heart be troubled.” Honestly, there were moments I couldn’t remember the verse! I’d have to turn my brain off of worry and search for the verse in my head. But when I found it, I felt better.

Gradually, every time I repeated the verse I noticed that I felt a little calmer. Pretty soon, I was calm enough to remember that no matter how it turned out, I trusted God to have it.

We got through the meeting and while it wasn’t great, it was better than I expected. There are still some things to walk through but I now have my go-to.

Don’t let yourself forget who God is. What you are looking at is stressful but God will walk you through it every single step of the way.

A Minute In It - What Do You Want?

A minute in God’s Word will change your life. Take a moment to read the texts below and then answer the questions at the bottom of the post.

35 As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind beggar was sitting beside the road. 36 When he heard the noise of a crowd going past, he asked what was happening. 37 They told him that Jesus the Nazarene was going by.38 So he began shouting, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

39 “Be quiet!” the people in front yelled at him.

But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

40 When Jesus heard him, he stopped and ordered that the man be brought to him. As the man came near, Jesus asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?”

“Lord,” he said, “I want to see!”

42 And Jesus said, “All right, receive your sight! Your faith has healed you.” 43 Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus, praising God. And all who saw it praised God, too. Luke 18:35-42 (NLT)

When the blind beggar heard Jesus was coming what did he do? Why?
Why were the people trying to quiet him?
As Jesus was walking in the middle of the crowd, what did he hear?
What did he do when he heard him?
What did he ask him?
Why didn’t Jesus just heal him from across the road?
If Jesus were to ask you “What do you want me to do for you?” what would be your answer?

Giving

Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!  Malachi 3:10 (NLT)

Many years ago when my children were young, we were super tight on funds. I was a single mom and it was hard. I had just gotten paid. I went to the Grocery store and when I got home I sat down to pay the bills. After that, there was a little bit left. I was excited about that because my daughter needed a new pair of shoes.

Then, I heard the Voice. “You didn’t pay tithe.” So I started reasoning. Lord, if I pay tithe I won’t have money for shoes. Silence. I have learned enough to know when I get the silent treatment from God it’s because He knows I know what I’m supposed to do.

Not sure what came over me because my inclination was to buy shoes but I paid the tithe.

A few days later I was at work and a lady walked into my office. She said “Don’t you have a daughter that’s 2?” I said yes. She said “My daughter is just a little older than that and I just went through her clothes getting rid of the things that were too small. Would you like them? Maybe they’ll fit your daughter.” I assured her I would definitely like the clothes.

She came back a little while later with a kitchen sized garbage bag full of clothes. I took them home and started going through them and guess what was at the very bottom. A pair of shoes just the right size with the tag still on them! Not only did I get a pair of shoes, I got an entire bag full of clothes!

I know we’ve all heard stories about this kind of thing. God’s faithfulness is timeless. But, I can attest to the fact that over the years, in more ways than I can count, he has provided for me when I’ve been faithful to him. Some days, the possibilities look scary until I remember who God is and all he has done. Then I realize the possibilities are endless.

Silencing Doubt

Joshua had given orders to the people, “Don’t shout. In fact, don’t even speak—not so much as a whisper until you hear me say, ‘Shout!’—then shout away!” Joshua 6:10 (MSG)

The people of Israel were camped outside the city of Jericho. The city was shut up tight because of the people of Israel. No one dared come in or out. They had heard about Israel’s God. This way, the residents of Jericho thought they were safe.

God told the people to march around the city once a day for six days. Do nothing. Just march. Say nothing. Just keep walking.

I wonder what they thought about this plan. There were a lot of people marching around the city. Do you think some of them wanted to complain because this seemed silly? Were there people who thought they had a better plan of attack? How about folks who knew all about fortified walls and were sure they could come up with something more effective?

What about us? When we are doing the same routine day in and day out with no end in sight, are we more apt to complain? Do we voice out loud the fact that God is not doing anything to change our current situation? Or do we keep walking? Do we trust that God has a plan and he is working that plan out even if we can’t see how it’s going to come together?

There are times, even when we want to do something different, we need to just keep walking. We need to trust that God’s plan is coming together. We may not see how he is going to bring the walls down, but one day we will. That’s when we get to shout!

Which Job?

With all this going for us, my dear, dear friends, stand your ground. And don’t hold back. Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort. 1 Corinthians 15:58 (MSG)

I have two jobs. One is the job I do to make money and the other is the job God has called me to do. In the past, I would get frustrated because it was hard juggling these two things. I kept feeling that if I was doing the God thing, I wasn’t being committed to the pay thing. And visa versus. What I really want to do full-time is the God job but that is not what he is allowing (at least right now.)

The frustration kept bubbling around in my mind and honestly, it was derailing me so that I didn’t feel like I was doing anything well. Lately, God has been teaching me though. Can I share some of what I’m learning?

We all have two jobs. There is the thing you are doing each day as your “day job.” This could be working for a paycheck, being a stay-at-home mom, caring for elderly parents, etc. Then, we each have a call that God has put on our life. That call looks different for everyone and it is super specific to you. What I’m learning is there is usually a theme that runs through your day job and your call.

Usually, you are using the gifts you have been given by the Holy Spirit at both your “jobs.” You are just using them in different ways. And that’s OK because where ever you are and whatever you are doing is actually all for God.

I am learning that each day God places before me what he wants me to do. Some days that leans heavily toward my paying job. Some days it leans heavily toward my God job and some days it’s a complete mix. Instead of trying to make it look like I want it to, I am trying to let God lead. I am asking him to guide my day and make it what he wants.

Does it always look neat and tidy and predictable? Absolutely not. That’s probably what drives me nuts! But so far, I have not missed a deadline, I have not shirked on any major responsibilities (there are little things that don’t get done, I’ll be honest.) But most importantly, I feel that I am right where I need to be. I can let up on the striving. I can rest and let God be God and lead me where he wants.

One more thought, whatever God gives you to do today, do it with all your might. Every little thing we do should be for his glory.

Slowing Down To Be Saved

11 As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. 12 As he entered a village there, ten men with leprosy stood at a distance, 13 crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14 He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy. 15 One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” 16 He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan. 17 Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed (or saved) you.” Luke 17:11-19 (NLT)

Normally, when we read this story we focus on the fact that nine men did not come back and thank Jesus. But as I read it again, two things stood out to me. Isn’t it great that each time you read something in the Bible God reveals something new?

Verse 14 says “As they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy.” This made me think of our lives. Most of the time, when we need healing from something, whether it be physical or spiritual, it’s a process. It’s something that happens as we go. This is especially true with spiritual things. Each day, as we look to Jesus, we are changed. Sometimes in ways we can’t even recognize until we look back. But all along the way he is working in our hearts. This process is called sanctification. I think the “as you go” part is especially important because God uses our challenges, our suffering and our lives in general to grow us.

Another thing that stood out to me was what Jesus said to the man who returned. He had already been healed. Jesus said “Your faith has saved you.” It’s never our external condition that saves us. It’s never about what we look like on the outside. It’s more about what is happening on the inside. It’s from the inside that we show our love and praise for God. The man who returned entered into relationship with Jesus. He didn’t just continue on his way. He stopped, he drew near and he praised. That is what saved him.

It’s so easy to continue down our path and not take note of what God is doing or has done. It is super important to stop, draw near to Jesus and ponder God’s goodness. Isn’t it?