Devotionals for the Heart: Running in a race taught me to depend on God

Depending on God’s Strength
A devotional by Peg Arnold

“But those who wait upon GOD get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, They run and don’t get tired. They walk and don’t lag behind.”

—Isaiah 40:31 (MSG)

The day of the Diva Half Marathon had arrived. I was both nervous and excited. I had never participated in a competition like this before and was ready to take on the challenge. My daughter, an experienced runner, also participated in the race. We were both eager to tackle the course set in Virginia's beautiful wine country. The route began on a dirt road that led down a hill surrounded by towering trees and then transitioned onto pavement.

The gun went off and everyone started running. I quickly realized I would not be able to keep up the pace of the crowd. After five minutes, I urged my daughter to go ahead without me. Unfortunately, not long after she left, I stepped into a hole and twisted my knee. The pain radiated through my leg every time I tried to put weight on it. I had not even reached the three-mile mark yet, and I was already worried that I wouldn't be able to finish the race. I stopped at the first aid station to see if wrapping my knee would help, but it only provided minimal relief.

Despite this challenge, I was determined to complete the race, no matter how slow I had to go or how much pain I had to endure. I knew that this would be an actual test of my strength and focus. As the other runners began to pass me, I began praying and reciting scripture to keep me going. I repeated the verse from Isaiah, which promised that those who depend on the Lord will renew their strength…walk and not be weary, run, and not faint. I also reminded myself that I could do everything through Jesus Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13).

These words gave me the courage and endurance to keep going, even when the pain was overwhelming. As the miles stretched on, I walked by some of the runners who had passed me. I shared my favorite scripture verses with them, and their positive responses motivated me. I was amazed at how my words encouraged them as well.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the end was in sight. The trail was lined with people cheering us on. I felt a surge of energy as I crossed the finish line. I was given a pink boa, a medal, and some chocolate. My daughter gave me a big hug. However, as I tried to walk away, my knee gave out completely and I could barely reach the car.

When I returned home, I needed crutches to walk, so I made an appointment with my doctor. After getting an MRI, I found out that I had torn my meniscus and would need to undergo treatment. In the years to follow, I would realize the actual damage to my body.

Looking back on that accomplishment and the obstacles I encountered, I gained more than a completion medal and a debilitating injury. I learned the importance of using memorized scripture to connect me with the strength of our Savior (Jesus Christ). There are times when each of us encounters unexpected difficulties. Having scripture in our hearts and minds is more than receiving a sticker or recognition. The real reward is in the power and hope we draw from these words and the hope they give us in times of trouble.

Do you have a verse or two that you recite to help you persevere in unexpected life challenges?

Let’s Pray: Dear Lord, Thank You for being our source of strength in our moments of weakness. Your power empowers us to overcome any obstacles we face. They may look like mountains to us, but nothing is too difficult for You! Help us to remember these Biblical truths and keep us moving forward. In Jesus’s Name, we pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Believe for It” by CeCe Winans. Listen to it here.

~*~
Author Bio:

Peg Arnold, Speaker/Author/Teacher is a Drama Queen for Jesus. 

Her vibrant, interactive, and soul-stirring messages encourage all to embrace their God-given value. As a mom, wife, nana, mentor, with a master’s in counseling, she connects on a personal basis by sharing her joys and challenges of many life experiences through her dramas, messages, and witness. Whether talking with a friend over coffee or addressing hundreds of people at a conference, her passion for equipping women is contagious.

She has published devotions on YouVersion and in the Upper Room. In addition, she has contributed to two Chicken Soup for the Soul books, three anthologies, numerous articles, and blogs. Her devotional, Devotions for the Distracted Heart, received a 2022 OASIS award.

Peg desires everyone to know that their story is important and has a purpose. She grew up in Michigan and raised her family in Maryland. Later in life, Peg and her husband relocated close to their family in Colorado.

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Connect with Peg:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arnoldpeg/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pegarnoldwow
Website: https://pegarnold.org/ Get some freebies when you visit!
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC51V_iWr0RfGAQvQnWVXEoA
Devotions for the Distracted Heart blog: https://pegarnold.wordpress.com/
YouVersion: https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/22261-devotions-for-the-distracted-heart
Holiday YouVersion: https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/28680-holiday-devotions-for-the-distracted-heart
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/wonderofwomen/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/peg-arnold-wow

Devotionals for the Heart: Persevere

Just Keeping Running
A devotional by Amy Odland

“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. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” –1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (NIV)

Now that we’re six months into dealing with COVID-19, I have seen more and more people commenting lately on social media about being tired and weary.

The initial anxiety and stress we all felt when everything locked down back in March has led to months of wondering, watching, and waiting.

Wondering what will change from day to day with laws, regulations, and our health as well as the health of our loved ones. Watching as political unrest grows, racial tensions widen, and natural disasters increase. Watching as leaders say one thing and do another. Waiting for a break from the stress, for a relief that never comes. People are still arguing about masks, some basic supplies are still hard to find, and distrust in the news, our friends and family, and in pretty much everything is multiplying as fast as rabbits do in the springtime.

Have you noticed the race we run as Christians has gotten a lot harder in this short amount of time? Anxiety and hardships have increased; convenience and comfort have decreased. Plans have been rescheduled, cancelled, and completely ruined. Relationships have been strained beyond what they can handle. Truths have been warped beyond recognition. We’re now running uphill on an unmaintained path, huffing and puffing and feeling a burn in our muscles like never before. We’ve maybe twisted our ankle a little on the uneven ground or lost our footing and cut our knee on a rock along the way.

We’re tired.

We’re weary.

We want to quit.

I’m tired and weary and want to quit.

Paul knew we’d be tired in 2020 when he wrote these words. He knew we’d be ready to throw in the towel and flush relationships broken by the turmoil of this year. He knew we’d want to block people on Facebook as another election approaches. He knew we’d want to just numb out and watch Netflix instead of washing the dishes, AGAIN, because our dishwasher is still broken after almost 8 weeks of waiting for the backordered part needed to fix it that can’t be found ANYWHERE due to COVID-19. (Ok, maybe it’s just my dishwasher that’s been broken, but you get the idea.)

Olympic athletes train for hours day after day, month after month, year after year in preparation for competing every four years for either a gold, silver, or bronze medal. In comparison, some of us who call ourselves Christians aren’t even willing to read the Bible for 5-10 minutes a day. How little effort we put towards striving for that eternal prize of being with God. Yet the prize we will receive for our effort is much more valuable than what the Olympians receive!

Yes, salvation by the grace of God is a gift. The “prize” we’ll receive someday is not something we can technically earn. But the appreciation of and continuing development of the grace we have received is not as apparent in our lives as some of us think. We need to be more purposeful in our running of the race, this thing we call living and witnessing and growing in sanctification.

We need to be purposefully reaching out to God, learning about His ways, and listening to Him more than we do. We need to avoid growing complacent to our surroundings and comfortable with our sins. We need to be purposeful in our actions. We need to keep going when we’re tired and want to quit.

Here are three ways to be more purposeful in your race if you’ve grown lazy in your faith:

Way #1: Plan
Long distance runners make plans: training plans, recovery plans, day-of-race plans, meal plans, equipment plans. Someone doesn’t just become a prize-winning long distance runner by accident. Make plans for how you’re going to grow in your faith. Get the materials you need. Find Bible reading plans. Get an accountability partner to help you stay faithful. Try new things too, like memorization or joining a prayer group as doing the same thing all the time creates stagnation, just as a runner who only runs without doing alternate training activities risks injury or muscle exhaustion.

Way #2: Act
Once plans are made, you have to follow through and DO them. You have to open your Bible and read it. You have to pray. You have to show up. Missing a day isn’t the end of the world! Don’t throw the plan out just because you were derailed by an unexpected crisis. Pick it up where you’re at when you can and don’t look behind you and beat yourself up for past failures. Doing something, no matter how small, is still a step forward toward growth.

Way #3: Pace
A long distance runner doesn’t run the same pace the whole race. There are times when a slow, steady speed is needed to conserve energy for the sprints that will be needed ahead to gain ground and a lead. A slower pace at different times in your walk is not bad. Don’t make rest your enemy! It is your friend and is needed between big bursts of high-energy seasons in your life. Just don’t fall into a consistent habit of rest and laziness. Even runners who have injured themselves have miraculously still finished a race. Your “injury” is not a valid excuse for always neglecting your God.

Make a specific plan to grow in your faith, act on that plan, and adjust your pace as the terrain requires. If Paul had written those words today, he may very well have added a “just keep running, brothers, just keep running” to the end.

Rest and slow your pace if needed, but just keep running, friend.

~*~
Author Bio:

Amy Odland has been serving in church ministry as a volunteer leader for over 16 years, in various worship, prayer and women’s ministry roles. 

Her passion for helping women stems from her own struggles and lessons learned in her journey as a Christian since first deciding to follow the Lord in 1994.

Amy’s priorities after her faith include her family — husband Rick, and their four kids — as well as extended family who all live close in proximity and the many friends she’s made over the years.

In addition to a love of teaching and helping her husband with the bookkeeping for their many businesses, Amy has recently expanded her stay-at-home work to include leading author’s book launch teams for publishing companies like Baker, Revell, Barbour, and Lifeway.

She also enjoys teaching new authors about platform building, self-launching, and online marketing.

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Connect with Amy:
Facebook: https://facebook.com/amyodland
Instagram: https://instagram.com/amy_odland
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amy_odland
Website: https://amyodland.com

Devotionals for the Heart: A jump-start for my car and my faith

A Jump-Start Kind of Day
A devotional by Chaplain Paul Anderson

“He gives power to the weak,

And to those who have no might He increases strength.

Even the youths shall faint and be weary,

And the young men shall utterly fall,

But those who wait on the Lord

Shall renew their strength;

They shall mount up with wings like eagles,

They shall run and not be weary,

They shall walk and not faint.”

—Isaiah 40:29-31 (NKJV)

Recently, I had a moment that every driver dreads: I went into the garage to start my wife Debra’s car and nothing happened.

Normally, I turn the key to the right, all the way, then release it. Immediately, the car would crank, then purr. Not today. I tried again. I pressed the horn and nothing happened. We had driven the car the day before and there was no hint of trouble. I was perplexed, but I knew what to do.

For such a time as this, I had bought a policy with the American Automobile Association (AAA) that would allow me to call for assistance if ever I had a problem with our cars. When I called the Customer Care Line, the phone was answered quickly. The attendant asked my name. When I responded, he called me by my name and asked me if I was safe. I responded yes. He then asked, “How may I help you today?”

When I explained the problem, he said that he understood and would dispatch a service truck to help me. He asked me to wait patiently and gave me an approximate time when my help would arrive. I waited and tinkered on some other tasks while waiting. Before too long, the AAA truck drove up to my house. The mechanic was polite and accommodating. His name was Frank. He asked me to turn the key. Again, nothing happened. He knew just what to do.

Frank had a portable device that he called a Hot Shot. He thought that it would give me enough power to jump-start the car. It did not. We laughed while musing about the good old days when you could jump-start a car by putting the transmission in neutral and pushing the car until it was going fast enough to “pop the clutch.” Not this car!

He had another option. It was a long set of cables that he connected to the battery in my car, then plugged into a contraption on the bumper of his truck. He said, “turn the key.” I did and the car turned on without hesitation. I remarked that I wished there was something like that to get me going when I feel tired and depleted.

His eyes lit up. Frank smiled as he said, “There is something you can use.” I replied, “Really?” Frank said, “Yes, the Bible says in Isaiah 40:29-31 that ‘He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall. But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint.’”

I joined Frank as he was quoting the verse. Frank’s eyes shone brighter and his smile widened further. He asked me, with enthusiasm, “You are a believer?” I responded affirmatively and we ceremoniously bumped elbows. I told Frank that that verse was one of my favorite verses in Scripture.

Frank told me that when he was younger and a Track athlete, that verse was in his mind as he would sprint the last quarter of his races. He said that he rarely lost a race when he focused on that text as he ran.

We reminisced about times when we felt depleted, emotionally, spiritually or physically and intoned that verse. Invariably, we found renewal. Before he left, Frank paused and said something profound to me. He asked me, “What did you do while you waited for me to arrive?” My response was, “I worked on some other projects.” He replied, “That is what you should do when you are waiting on the Lord to renew you. Work on some other of His projects. Waiting on the Lord is not idleness; it is service!”

Frank continued, “You knew I was coming, so you did not just sit and pout, or sulk. You did something productive while you waited. Likewise, you know God is going to show up, at the right time, with just what you need to jump-start you. Just keep doing well and your help will always show up. You might have to wait a while, but your renewal is assured.”

I said, “Frank, you have made my day. Not just because you jump-started my car, but because you have given my faith a jolt too. Thank you.”

If you, dear reader, are feeling depleted, burned out, run down or dispirited, turn your mind to the Word of God (The Holy Bible). If you don’t have a favorite verse that restores your soul, may I commend you to the verse that Frank and I claim? Read Isaiah 40:29-31!

Wait on the Lord and He will jump-start your heart, your vision, your enthusiasm, your potential and your reality. Do something positive for someone else while you wait. Waiting on the Lord is not idleness; it is service.

Strangely, but thankfully, Debra’s car has started every time that we have needed it since that day when God used an agent named Frank to jump-start my car and my faith.

~*~
Author Bio:

Chaplain Anderson served for 20 years as a U.S. Navy Chaplain. Over 26 years of active duty, he was promoted through the ranks from Seaman Apprentice (E2) to his final rank as Commander (O5) in the Chaplain’s Corps.  

Prior to his Naval career, Chaplain Anderson pastored in the Allegheny East and Potomac Conferences of Seventh-day Adventists. His undergraduate preparation for ministry was completed at Washington Adventist University in Takoma Park, Md.

He has subsequently earned four graduate degrees: a Master of Divinity from Andrews University in Michigan, a Master of Education in Counseling and Personnel Services from the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland and a Masters of Sacred Theology in Religion and Culture from Boston University. His Doctor of Ministry degree was conferred by Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C.

Chaplain Anderson also completed four units of Clinical Pastoral Education at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He also holds certifications in Suicide Awareness and Prevention, Civil Mediation, Alternative Workplace Dispute Resolution, Temperament Analysis, Marriage Enrichment, Workforce Diversity, and is a certified Life Coach.

Devotionals for the Heart: Life Advice

Don’t Go Running Blind
A devotional by Sharon Musgrove

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
–Hebrews 12:1-2 (ESV)

Running races was something I did when I was younger. I loved it! I ran the occasional city race or fundraiser, and daily I ran alone.

The longest race I’ve run was a half marathon. The “half” is 13.1 miles. Initially, I wanted to run the full marathon, but early in training, I sustained an injury and settled for the shorter distance. I was disappointed to be running what I thought to be a second-rate competition. I was more bummed at lowering the bar of my personal achievements than my concern for my strained achilles tendon. I found a way to continue in training.

I was running for my glory. I was running blind.

Because of my running, I’ve appreciated this passage in Hebrews chapter 12. However, the author is not writing about a race like the one I ran. He did not promote challenges to prove oneself. This race he pens is a fight for life.

In the ancient world, the Olympic games were severe. Competitions were often to the death. While, like me, some contenders might have been seeking their own glory, but it was also common that prisoners were pit against each other for entertainment.

Imagine a stadium filled with spectators awaiting who would emerge victorious. This was no time to daydream or get sidetracked with whose shoes were a better brand! There was no silver medal for second place. Competition demanded focus and putting to use the daily training.

In these verses in Hebrews 12, I see four “sights” to keep us intentional in this “good fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:12) rather than running blind. Let’s look at the scripture moving from the end to the beginning: “…Jesus…who for the joy set before him endured…and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Let’s examine those four “sights”:

Sight #1: Run with eyes set on the throne of God

There absolutely is an end to the marathon and the prize is a face to face with the great I AM! For all of the striving and effort we put into proving value, the time is coming when we will look our Father in the eye and He will know every footfall we’ve had. What a reward!

“…let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith….”

Sight #2: Run with eyes set on Jesus

Jesus set the pace, training us daily by the records of him running ahead. It is Jesus who makes our victory possible! He endured what was set before him and knows we can follow.

“…let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely….”

Sight #3: Run seeing that the thing that holds you back is sin and the shame of it.

The blood of Christ on the cross was death to sin and death to shame. Forgiveness does not hold a grudge nor does it consider you accountable. The price is paid. Let it be paid. Shame is weighing you down. Lay it aside. Jesus despises it!

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses….”

Sight #4: Run seeing the eyes that watch

There is no such thing as a secret. There are always witnesses to how we run this race. Children observe parents. Neighbors survey their hood. Heavenly beings also watch on as we run.

Let us be encouraged as we run the race before us. Let us not run blind, as if a spiritual world does not exist or if our steps do not matter. Let Jesus continue to be your trainer, saying, “Yes! Yes! Yes!” as you power on toward the prize. Victory is ours, friend, fix your eyes on Him!

~*~
Author Bio:

Sharon Musgrove is a self-proclaimed sociologist. The opportunities opened to her, over the years, have led her on a fascinating journey observing human behavior. 

She has a diverse background in business, fitness and health industries. This background led her to a unique position writing curriculum and teaching for two private, Christ-based, residential recovery programs. Both recovery programs served women primarily from the homeless community.

Sharon has traveled multiple times to Kenya, serving on medical teams and teaching in the rural Maasai communities. She's been privileged to participate in Leadership camps for maturing young women. These annual camps have a mission of encouraging and empowering the impoverished, underprivileged, and often abused young Maasai girls.

Easily identifying personally with the brokenness of the women she's served, Sharon now sees all people as needing more encouragement regardless of cultural or socioeconomic status. Within these ministries, Sharon has witnessed the transformative power of loving words spoken to the broken-hearted. Sharing God’s love and witnessing its transformative power has become her passion.

In her leisure time, Sharon enjoys her garden, health food, travel and a good story. She and her husband, Jeff, make their home in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. They have two grown children. Currently, Sharon is writing her first Christian historical fiction novel utilizing her study, experience, and understanding of self-destructive behaviors.

Devotional by Laura Thomas: Running the Race that God Marked Out for You

Spiritual Fat
A devotional written by Laura Thomas

How do you feel about running? We tend to fall into one of two camps: the enthusiastic, marathon-goal, effortless gazelles, or the eye-rolling, couch-preferring, pretty-much-exhausted plodders. Personally, I think I’m somewhere in the middle, I love the IDEA of running. Unfortunately, my body is not always agreeable.

Running an actual race is a whole other thing. That gets most of us skittish. Yet here we are, each one of us running the “race marked out for us”, the race of our lives. Some shuffle, some struggle, some bound with effortless energy toward the goal. Those “effortless energy” types have one thing in common—they are all in really good shape. They shed the pounds and got rid of any hindrances.

“Therefore since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”~Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)

The previous chapter in Hebrews lists the greats of the Old Testament—such ancients as Abraham, Joseph, and Moses. They are our “great cloud of witnesses” recorded to encourage us. None of them lived perfect lives on easy street. In fact, they were all presented with seemingly insurmountable hurdles throughout their races. But they chose to dig in, shed the “pounds” of sin that might slow them in their endeavor to follow God, and they persevered in spite of all the odds.

What is it that weighs us down in our pursuit of living a Christ-filled life? It’s so easy to be drowned by worry, enslaved by fear, consumed by work, distracted by the sparkly things in life, or simply disillusioned. When we carry these extra pounds of sin—and that could be absolutely anything that takes our focus from the Lord—the race is decidedly harder. It’s like running through bog mud in the pouring rain. The journey is miserable, the blessings to others and ourselves are dampened, and we are tangled miserably in our hindrances.

“Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in.” 

~Hebrews 12:1b-2 (The Message)

We need to slim down by shedding our spiritual fat!

Just as a focused runner prepares for a marathon by losing the extra weight to run lean and keen, so we need to “throw off’ the excess baggage weighing us down. Not flippantly disregarding our sin, but rather laying it down before the One who bears our every burden. Sometimes it can be a painful process, but once that metaphorical Band-Aid is stripped off, we heal and move much more easily. And then we can joyfully and energetically run the “race marked out for us”.

David, one of the Old Testament late greats, cried out, “Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.”~Psalm 54:4 (NIV)

We aren’t in this race alone. God so desires for us to live joy-filled, Christ-glorifying lives, and He WILL sustain our every step. The faltering foot, the confident stride, the desperate dash, the persistent plod, the weakest limp… He will never leave us to run alone. Never.

It’s healthy to reflect once in a while on how our walk/run is progressing and to keep a check on what’s weighing us down. All of us have some spiritual slimming to do in order to run effectively; it’s an on-going process, isn’t it?

Surely, we should want the race to be more like an energizing sprint on a perfectly sunny day with the end in sight, pulse racing, a feeling of joy and contentment in our every step. We all know there will be hurdles and pitfalls en route, but with God as our Sustainer, we can strive to strip off our sin, shed the spiritual fat, focus on Him, and “run the race with perseverance” all the way to the finish line.

Transforming hindering pounds to limitless bounds and spiritual fat to fit!

~*~
Author bio: 

Laura is a published Christian author with a heart for inspiring and encouraging readers of all ages. 

She is truly multi-genre—with a published Christian teen fiction trilogy, marriage book, children’s stories, devotionals for Union Gospel Press, musings on her blog, and she now has a literary agent representing her Christian romantic suspense novel. 

Laura is English and Canadian, married to her high school sweetheart, mom of three, passionate about faith and family…and chocolate. 
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Connect with Laura:
Website - www.laurathomasauthor.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Laura-Thomas-183771121724664/?ref=hl
Twitter - https://twitter.com/Laura_Thomas_
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/lauracthomas/
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/lauracthomas/

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