Sometime ago, I made a pledge to train for the London Marathon in May 2009, after I turned 60. You may wonder about my progress. It is about 6 months since I started "running" (at jogging pace) again. My training is done on a 4 km route near our house. The first time I had to walk home. Then I did it within 30 minutes. Now I train every morning, and my best time was 27.5 minutes (quite slow by most standards - but speed to me is not important). My goal is to do the Marathon in under 5 hours. This works out to be just under 28 minutes every 4 km. It is easy for 4 km :o). It is something else for 42.18 km :o(.
The training gives me great insight into our human nature. When I attended the Apostolic Fellowship International in Italy at the end of September, I stopped training for a few days. After I came back to London, my first "run" was a real struggle. It took me a few days to get back to normal.
I once shared that our walk with God is like a salmon swimming upstream against the current. We need to keep moving forward. Stopping results in backsliding. My marathon training proved it. Moving forward requires determined and conscientious efforts!
I know not everyone is mad like me, trying to run a marathon. But I do encourage everyone to have a sustainable walk with God. God's word in [Rom. 5(3-4)] "......rejoice in our sufferings, because.....suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope" come to mind. God has a purpose in everything, including suffering!
Hence it is good to praise the Lord. ".....How good it is to sing praises to our God......He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit......The LORD sustains the humble.........." [Ps 147:1-6 NIV]
God truly sustains the humble. When "The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. Moses said to Joshua, "Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands."........As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up-- one on one side, one on the other-- so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.......Moses built an altar and called it The LORD is my Banner." [Exod 17:8-15 NIV]
The Lord is our Banner and He gives us victory. We see many examples of the Lord giving the apostles victory over the enemy in the Book of Acts. The worst enemy is death. The story goes that "In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha.......who was always doing good and helping the poor. About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, "Please come at once!" Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying.......Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, "Tabitha, get up." She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up." [Acts 9:36-42 NIV] Peter's faith gives me hope to persevere. If the Lord can raise the dead, He can help me to "run" 42.18 km in under 5 hours. :o)
God says ".......listen to me; blessed are those who keep my ways. Listen to my instruction and be wise......Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway. For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the LORD......." [Prov 8:23,27,30-36 NIV]
Amen!
The training gives me great insight into our human nature. When I attended the Apostolic Fellowship International in Italy at the end of September, I stopped training for a few days. After I came back to London, my first "run" was a real struggle. It took me a few days to get back to normal.
I once shared that our walk with God is like a salmon swimming upstream against the current. We need to keep moving forward. Stopping results in backsliding. My marathon training proved it. Moving forward requires determined and conscientious efforts!
I know not everyone is mad like me, trying to run a marathon. But I do encourage everyone to have a sustainable walk with God. God's word in [Rom. 5(3-4)] "......rejoice in our sufferings, because.....suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope" come to mind. God has a purpose in everything, including suffering!
Hence it is good to praise the Lord. ".....How good it is to sing praises to our God......He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit......The LORD sustains the humble.........." [Ps 147:1-6 NIV]
God truly sustains the humble. When "The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. Moses said to Joshua, "Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands."........As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up-- one on one side, one on the other-- so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.......Moses built an altar and called it The LORD is my Banner." [Exod 17:8-15 NIV]
The Lord is our Banner and He gives us victory. We see many examples of the Lord giving the apostles victory over the enemy in the Book of Acts. The worst enemy is death. The story goes that "In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha.......who was always doing good and helping the poor. About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, "Please come at once!" Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying.......Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, "Tabitha, get up." She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up." [Acts 9:36-42 NIV] Peter's faith gives me hope to persevere. If the Lord can raise the dead, He can help me to "run" 42.18 km in under 5 hours. :o)
God says ".......listen to me; blessed are those who keep my ways. Listen to my instruction and be wise......Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway. For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the LORD......." [Prov 8:23,27,30-36 NIV]
Amen!
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