"Gasp for Inspiration"

"Look thou upon me, and be merciful unto me, as thou usest to do unto those that love thy name." (Psalms 119:132)

  As with any race, especially those that require endurance for long periods of time, there are times when we hit a wall of resistance; whether mental or physical, it is our mind and body telling us that we cannot go any further. On my long bike rides, it is usually around the 60 to 70 mile mark of the ride, when I try telling myself, we have gone far enough! Here is the thing that we must never forget about anything to do with running this race of salvation: We are in it, to be in it! I don't care where you are in your walk with the Lord, you have got to keep remembering what brought you here in the first place, your need to be saved from the eternal fires of hell! Not that what we do or don't do really matters, but it is a question of finishing the race, as in, does the race even matter anymore. Here I believe David is gasping for air, not asking for God to give him any favors, but that He might just treat him like somebody that needs mercy, and that he too, loves to be loved by God. If you have ever been there, you know what I am talking about. You need to find some other reason besides yourself to keep on going, because yourself is feeling spent! So, what might this be that keeps us going? If you are looking in the mirror, make sure your face in the mirror is out of focus and you see the multitude behind you, because those are the ones that really matter! These are the reasons that we do what we do; why the race is a race that is bigger than you and me, because how we run matters in them and in the way they even consider getting into the race for themselves. Paul description of not running aimlessly was not just about being focused, it was about purpose! As a fighter, he is not speaking about just not throwing his arms around, he is talking about the punches he throws be counted and actually making contact. In other words, it is not just about you and me anymore! From the moment we were saved, we were saved for a reason bigger than ourselves; a whole lot bigger and a worth far more than any temporary pain we might be experiencing in our own race...

"When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings. Don't you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should, Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified." (1 Corinthians 9:22-27) NLT