Run to win (4)

Hello everyone,

How are you doing on this day? I hope well and bubbling in the Lord. We thank God for He is the Great I am, the Mighty one of Israel, the Great and the Mighty God, the Lord of hosts, the One who has never lost a war! Glory be to His name forevermore.

Primary Text

“I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:” 1 Corinthians 9v26 (KJV)

“Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.” 1 Corinthians 9v26 (NIV)

“So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing.” 1 Corinthians 9v26 (NLT)

“Therefore I do not run uncertainly (without definite aim). I do not box like one beating the air and striking without an adversary.” 1 Corinthians 9v26 (AMP)

As believers, not only are we running to gain a crown that will not wither, we do not run without purpose. I am reminded of the verse “But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11v6, KJV). We do not run this race with a “que sera sera” – “what will be will be” mindset. We know who we believe in and through the Word of God know who we are in Christ. The Dakes commentary talks of “Fight with absolute confidence in victory.” That is why we should not give up when things do not seem to be going our way because we know in whom we have believed and so we keep the faith.

Supplementary Text

“Fight the good fight of the faith; lay hold of the eternal life to which you were summoned and [for which] you confessed the good confession [of faith] before many witnesses.” 1 Timothy 6v12 (AMP)

Prayer

Father, I thank You for Your Word. I thank You for this race we are running. Father, please grant us the grace to run it to the end, and to run to win in Jesus name, amen.