August 10-12

Read I Corinthians 9:24-27

This passage is written with the backdrop of the Isthmian games - the equivalent of our Olympics. This event was held every two years ten miles outside the city of Corinth. These games brought people from every part of the Mediterranean to compete or just watch. It was the sporting event of the year - drawing the empire’s best talent. Athletes would compete in foot races, broad jumping, discus throwing, wrestling, boxing, gymnastics, and equestrian contests. They would compete fiercely, each striving for the Isthmian crown - a wreath of wild celery.
Winners received a lifetime exemption from paying taxes and serving in the military. They would also receive free tuition at one of their universities. Statues of themselves would be erected along the road that led to the site of the games. But the real prize was the celery wreath, awarded to the winner at the end of the games.
The last key to running in life is persistence. Verse 27 stated, “But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.” The word “discipline” is the Greek verb “hupopiazo”, and literally means, “to strike under the eye” and gives the connotation of giving someone a “black eye.” We need to literally have the Self-Control that makes us black and blue on our bodies. I’m not talking about sacramental scourging, but I am talking about beating our flesh so that our human nature is unable to lead us. Without discipline, one is sure to fail. An athlete’s strength comes from discipline.
I want to tell you a story about the strength of the first marathon runners, which is where the NIKE company derives its name. The battle of Marathon was fought around 490 B.C. when king Darius launched an attack on Athens. Since the surrounding city-states would offer little support to the Athenians, the Persians outnumbered them. Although the Athenians were outnumbered, they caught the Persians by surprise by running the full length of the plain and catching the Persians unorganized. The Athenians were able to defeat the Persians by not only striking from the front, but they also flanked the Persian army from the sides. Because of this sudden attack the Persian troops broke ranks and fled back to their ships. Since the Athenians won they wanted to send word back to Athens to tell of victory so the city could prepare for the Persian fleet attack from the sea.
So Miltiades sent his best runner Pheidippides to take word to Athens. He ran the whole distance, about 26 miles, and when he arrived he was able to say one word . . . and then he died. What was the one word that Pheidippides was able to say before he died? It was “Nike!” He cried “victory!” The Athenians ran the whole distance of the plain of Marathon, which is some 26 miles. This could not have been accomplished without hard training and discipline.
What aspects of our lives do we need to discipline? We need to discipline our minds. We need to train ourselves to think properly. II Timothy 2:15 says, “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” We also need to discipline our bodies. We need a disciplined moral character. Many leaders with many talents have been “disqualified” because they didn’t discipline their moral character. The word “disqualified” carries the connotation of being rejected. We need to discipline our appetites. Let your moderation be known to all men. We also need to discipline our speech. James 1:26 says, “If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.” No matter how self-controlled you are; if you haven’t bridled your tongue, you’ve still got a way to go. You may have a disciplined mind, a disciplined body, and a disciplined will; even disciplined appetites, but a loose tongue will get you in a lot of trouble. Oftentimes it is best just to keep your mouth shut. We need discipline in arranging our priorities. There are a lot of things that pull at you every day. You must decide what is important. God has given us victory over sin. However; we must not let our guard down. We must use the strategies of God to defeat the power of Satan.
If we stay on course we will finish the race. I believe that persistence is stubbornness with a purpose. We must be consistent to win the race. We can never quit striving to do more and be more for God. To win the race requires that we never give up. Paul is calling the children of God to remain steady no matter what the cost. The goal we have is heaven and we can never give up on it. I’ve read where Winston Churchill rose to give a speech, and everyone thought it would be an amazing oratorical rendition. He just rose to the podium and said, “Never, never, never give up!” And they won the war.
I hope these keys over the last week will help you in the race for glory, and I look forward to meeting you at the finish line.

“Ambition is the path to success. Persistence is the vehicle you arrive in.”
- Bill Bradley

August 11

Read Genesis 22:1-18

The old man stopped walking. It had been a long day and he was tired. To look into his eyes though, you would have realized that it wasn’t his body that was tired, but his spirit. The place of sacrifice was getting closer. He had wrestled with the matter in his heart a thousand times since God had spoken. As he was thinking, his servants ran up and suggested a time of rest. The sun was extremely hot and the old man agreed to stop for a while. The animals were tied down and the servants both laid down under a tree for a nap. Beside him, one other figure was still standing; a young male that bore a striking resemblance to the old man. To take a look at the two of them, you would have surely thought it was the man’s great-grandson. It wasn’t. “Isaac my son,” the old voice spoke out, “Come sit with me for awhile.” Isaac, after making sure the animals really were secure, came and sat next to his father. The heat had made him tired and he quickly fell asleep. Abraham turned his eyes toward his son Isaac. A tear began to roll down his face as he realized what must take place in just a few short days. Part of him wanted to pick up Isaac and run away. The other part knew he had to go. The old man never closed his eyes. While everyone else slept, his eyes never left his son.
God surely gives Isaacs. Isaac was a special gift from God to Abraham, and you and I have received gift upon gift from God throughout our life. It is true that God gives Isaacs to our lives.
It is also true that Isaac can become almost a god to us. Consider this, what did God ask Abraham to sacrifice? I don’t read anywhere in the text that God asked Abraham to sacrifice Sarah, or sacrifice one of his servants, or sacrifice his wealth (give it away), or even sacrifice himself. God asked Abraham to sacrifice the one thing that had an opportunity to become another god in his life. For Abraham, that was Isaac, his gift. It would have been very easy to do. Isaac was a special child. He was the son that was going fulfill the promise of God. From this son, his descendants were going to multiply. It must have been so easy for Abraham to begin trusting in Isaac more than He was trusting God. Whenever you begin to trust in something more than you trust God, that thing whatever it may be, will become your god.
Isaac had to die. Whenever we have an Isaac that we have lifted up, God will eventually ask that we sacrifice it. We cannot have two gods. I tell you the truth today; it’s not easy to loosen the clenched fist that restrains your Isaac. Your Isaac will often be the thing you trust in dearly and it’s hard to be asked to willingly give it up. God comes though and asks us to trust in Him, not in the gifts He’s given us. Sometimes we don’t realize how tough it was for Abraham. He was going to kill everything that God had promised and given to him. Yet, he was still willing to trust God. Can you be the same? Will you allow God to point out Isaacs in your life to be sacrificed? Moreover, will you obey?
I’m sure there are people that read this story and walk away believing God to be a beast that requires human sacrifice. God never wanted to see Isaac physically sacrificed. He wanted Isaac to be sacrificed in Abraham’s heart. Once God knew that Abraham was willing to sacrifice Isaac, God stepped in and stopped it. Truly, the sacrifice had already been made. God steps in though and provides a ram to be offered in place of Isaac. Jehovah Jireh, the Lord will provide. Are you willing today to place all He has given on the altar of sacrifice and allow Him to provide a way?

“He who would accomplish little must sacrifice little; he who would achieve much must sacrifice much; he who would attain highly must sacrifice greatly.”
- James Allen

August 12

Read John 7:37

Have you ever been thirsty? I do not mean the average thirst where a drink of water sounds good after a long walk or after working in the garden on a hot summer day. I mean really -- really thirsty…where your tongue sticks to the roof of your mouth and you have to peel your lips off of your teeth and all you can think about is water.
I am not talking about H2O. We come to church… surrounded by the ocean of “Living Water”. Americans can buy Pink Bibles, Women Bibles, Devotional Men’s and Teen Bibles and we are thirsty. We can buy Christian bumper stickers, t-shirts; go to cool and trendy Christian bookstores and we’re still thirsty. We come to church and sing the songs that quench our souls, listen to the Scripture that hydrates our lives and we still are thirsty! We are walking through a Gatorade culture of opportunity with a Sahara desert soul? Why? Why can’t we drink from the well that never runs dry? Why are our souls shriveled and dehydrated?
The story is told of a young student who went to his spiritual teacher and asked the question, "Master, how can I truly find God?" The teacher asked the student to accompany him to the river, which ran by the village and invited him to go into the water. When they got to the middle of the stream, the teacher said, "Please immerse yourself in the water." The student did as he was instructed, whereupon the teacher put his hands on the young man’s head and held him under the water. Presently the student began to struggle.
The master held him under still. A moment passed and the student was thrashing and beating the water and air with his arms. Still, the master held him under the water. Finally, the student was released and shot up from the water, lungs aching and gasping for air. The teacher waited for a few moments and then said, "When you desire God as truly as you desired to breathe the air you just breathed -- then you shall find God."
It is when we get as thirsty for God that the young student was for air that we will begin to sense the thirst of our souls to dissipate and be quenched. Are you thirsty today? Jesus told us that if we thirst to go to Him. Will you run to Him right now?

“He that has satisfied his thirst turns his back on the well.”
- Baltasar Gracian