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Run

Run!

by TerryLema

A study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology concluded that you do not have to run very much – or very fast – to get major health benefits.  It said that running even 5-10 minutes each day at slow speeds (less than 6 miles per hours) produced markedly reduced risks of death from all causes, including cardiovascular disease.

As a young girl I used to love to run. Running became markedly less important as a teenager. By the time I was a mother of three and taking care of parents and parents-in-law, I had neither the time nor the energy to run.

Now at soon-to-be 77 years of age, I wish I had kept up that girlish delight in running. I am sure, also, that I could probably go online and find a host of people who took up running AT 77 years of age. I will not be one of them.

But as I read the article, I realized that I am still running. The Scriptures speak repeatedly of “running a [spiritual] race.” For example:

Hebrews 12:1: “Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us.” [HCSB]

1 Corinthians 9:24: “Run in such a way to win the prize.” [HCSB]

I am still running a race. Perhaps not as much nor as fast, but I am still running. And running that spiritual race certainly does have major “spiritual” health benefits! To that, I can attest.

So, beloved, hang in there. You may not be as fast as you once were but keep running!

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To Walk and Not Faint …

by TerryLema

We live in an area where eagles come during the year to make nests and have their babies. We even have a town, Eagle, Idaho, alongside the Boise River named to reflect the large number of bald eagles that make it their home. When you see these eagles flying along the river you cannot help but think of the Scripture in Isaiah that we so frequently say, sing, or claim.

“Those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint.” [Isaiah 40:31 HCSB]

We want to soar with eagles. We so often fail to do so. Most of the time we are walking, or even stumbling through life. We get weary, worn down by trials and difficulties. This year, 2020, has certainly been a year when that has proved true for so many. So, I take heart in the words of Oswald Chambers.

“The life of faith is not so much one of mounting up with wings of eagles, as it is a life of walking and not fainting … faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One who is leading.”  

 I am thinking about walking besides those still waters today, following the One who is leading me. I am claiming that promise of God that despite the struggles, I can walk and not faint because my LORD God will renew my strength.

No matter what this day, this week, this month, or this year holds for us, whether personally or as a nation, our God is leading us, remains with us, is in us, to strengthen us. No wonder we love Him so!

(Take a moment and read about Chamber’s life and that of his amazing wife with the link below.)

https://www.gotquestions.org/Oswald-Chambers.html

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Our Race

by TerryLema

I am having a difficult time getting my brain to “calm down.” It is not agitated by fear or anxiety. It is flooded with so much information and “mis” information. What I would like to do is simply turn off all information sources for a few weeks. That means, turning off the television, radio, internet, phone, and every device that buzzes, rings, squawks or tweets. To truly do that is impossible. Besides, I would have to turn off my husband also since he listens to a lot of the “information” and repeats it throughout the day.

I would love to run away and hide for a little while. Run, run, run far away from all that is going on around us in this present day of trouble. The LORD, however, does not call us to run away. Instead He calls us to run our race despite all urges to the contrary.

The writer of the Book of Hebrews recounts the exploits of our faithful ancestors in Hebrews Chapter 11. It is God’s Faith Hall of Fame and includes such heroes as Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, and others, none of whom lived in easy, laid-back times. Right after telling us about such great men and women, the writer reminds us of our responsibilities.

“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.” [12:1]

As believers, we are to run our race of faith just as the heroes did. I usually read that verse and focus on the sin that entangles, or the things that hinder, or the need to run with perseverance. But this morning, my focus was drawn to those four little words about the race “marked out for us.” (The NKJV translates it as the race “set before us.”)

We are called to run our race, the one God marked for this generation, this time. It is not the race that Noah or Joseph or Rahab had to run, it is the race that God calls us to run today. It is a race through fear and viruses and misinformation and opinions and shelter-at-home directives. It may be less difficult than others had, or maybe more difficult than others had, but whatever it is, it is ours to run! So run we shall. Amen.

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