January 10 2012

You Can Still Win
 
Reading: Proverbs 24:16, “16 for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity.”

The competitors were getting ready to start the 600 meter dash at the 2008 Big 10 Track Championship. They took their marks, the gun fired and they were off and running. It would be 3 times around the 200 meter track. The first two laps yielded obvious first and second place runners in a dead heat. As they were coming up on their final lap, the favored runner was just starting to take the lead… but… suddenly, the crowd let out a gasp as the leader tripped on the shoe of the second place runner and tumbled to the ground. All 3 of the other runners jump clear from falling without missing a stride. In an instant, the runner jumped up and started running again. It would be a near impossibility, to start running from falling down with only 200 meters left to go in a race that has already been at a sprinter’s pace. The announcers begin discussing the new leaders of the race… and, midsentence makes a surprising discovery that the runner that had fallen was moving up closer and closer to the 3rd place runner… then, the crowd began to get louder and louder as they realize that it may be possible to catch the first two runners. The announcers become more and more animated as the runner who fell is now nearing the front of the pack… the entire place erupts in cheers as the runner crosses the line first. What an amazing come back!

The amazing thing about that runner is… they did not stop for one second to think about whether to get up… or whether to continue the race… and, men, the beauty of running our race with Christ… even when we fall, we can still win… not just finish… but WIN! Praise the Lord!!!

Men, what has tripped you up? What has caused you to fall?

Are you ready to jump back up and get into the race?

How can you do that today or make sure that, if you do fall today, to jump back up and keep running the race for Christ?


 

End of the Day Review
  
Were you able to get back up and get back in the race today?
 
 How were you able to accomplish that and keep running?

Did you feel like you won today?