Tag: runners devotionals

What’s on Your Playlist?

Lisa Preuett

Romans 12:2 “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

If you must run to music, then your Ipod or MP3 player is essential.  Specific songs are selected with the intent of motivating—pumping you up when you need it most. Just when you feel that all too familiar slump coming over you, one of your favorite tunes blasts away. Suddenly your mood is lifted and you feel new energy rising through every weary muscle of your body. The driving beat ignites your determination to keep going. Before you know it, you’re running to the rhythm of the music and you have no intention of slowing down. Song after song keeps you going until you’ve reached your goal.

These songs on your playlist are carefully chosen. Not just any song will do! Can you imagine choosing songs with negative lyrics? Words that would tear you down? Insult you? Words of discouragement?  Would you choose lullabies? Blues or slow-dance songs? Of course not! You’ll choose songs with a driving beat. Songs with powerful words. Songs designed especially with running in mind. What we listen to plays a huge part in how we run our race.

And so it is in our race of faith. What we choose to fix our mind on determines our thoughts. Our thoughts determine our attitudes. Our attitudes shape our behavior. And ultimately our behavior molds our character.

There are multiple voices clamoring for our attention daily: television, Internet, radio, and especially other people. We also hear whispers from within our own ugly flesh and from the enemy. The voices we embrace are like the songs we choose to include on our playlists. When life gets tough and our weary soul can’t go another step, what messages are going to blast into our mind? We have a choice as to which ones we’ll tune into. If we listen to the negative talk of the world, we’ll surely wear down and lose our momentum. But if we purposely choose to listen to God’s gentle—yet powerful—voice, His truth will ignite our determination to persevere in His strength. It’s critical that we tuck away truth into our mind so we don’t fall for the lies of this world. When we feel a slump coming on, whatever is downloaded on our mental playlist determines whether we’ll slow down or keep going.

Consider carefully what you download onto the playlist of your mind. Because ultimately what goes into your mind will affect your soul.  And the condition of your soul determines how you will spend the life God has graciously given you.

READY? Take a moment to reflect on the playlist of your mind. Which voices are the loudest? Are there any voices you need to delete? Ask God to guide you as you evaluate what you’ve been listening to.

GET SET. Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

GO! Heavenly Father, help me choose truth in the midst of this world’s negativity. It’s often hard to decipher through multiple voices calling out to me. Help me embrace your word and make it my filter. May your truth guide me all day long and lift me up when things get rough. Praise you that your truth trumps all the lies of the world. Amen

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Blessings to you!

Lisa Preuett

HURLING OFF THE HINDRANCES

Lisa Preuett

Hebrews 12:1  “…let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles…”

It’s race day!  A cold breeze gushes through the crowd. Runners quickly jog in place to stay warm. You can see your breath in the coolness of the air. Shivering, you count down the minutes until start time.  Your outer layer will be discarded later, but for now it’s keeping you warm before the race. The race finally begins and you’re content with this outer layer. It fits snugly around you, giving immediate warmth and comfort. But then something happens. Your body thaws out, gradually heating up to a full sweat. This shirt you earlier couldn’t do without feels cumbersome, causing you much distress. You’re ready to throw it off.  You literally peel it off and toss it, knowing you’ll never see it again. But at this point you don’t care because you can run with more ease and freedom. Getting rid of the sweat shirt lightens your load.  As you continue running along the race course, you notice a mass of shirts and jackets strewn across both edges of the road. You realize you’re among other runners who know this truth: you can’t run efficiently unless you throw off the things that weigh you down.

Should we not have this same attitude with our sins? The hindrances entangling us—weighing us down.  They utterly leave us burdened and miserable. But we often convince ourselves we’re okay with them. We think they’ll keep us comfortable, snug and protected from the cold, distant world. But we can only go so far before we start to realize we’re getting uncomfortable. Our soul is miserable with this added weight. We feel burdened with anguish. Feelings of defeat hinder us from walking in victory.

The verse in Hebrews tells us to literally throw off our sins. A runner who’s fallen into her perfect stride isn’t going to slow down, prance over to the side of the road and neatly lay her old sweat shirt down. Of course not! Just when she notices the change in her body temperature, and feels the heat inside, she knows it’s time. She quickly peels off the cumbersome sweat shirt, tugging furiously to get it over her head. And with all her might she’ll fling it as far away from her as possible.

That, my dear friend, is what we are called to do with sin. Just when we recognize the change in our thoughts. The change in our heart. The change in our attitude. We detect something isn’t right. We feel miserable. Maybe it’s selfish thoughts. Perhaps it’s a prideful action, hurting our loved ones. Or maybe we lash out with angry words to defend our way of doing things. Then we feel weighed down with guilt we weren’t meant to carry. Anguish rises up inside. When we recognize this, that’s when we grab the ugly thing it really is and strip it off. We hurl it out of sight and into the forgiving arms of Jesus. He’s strong enough to catch those sins we’ve thrown at Him along our path. He has the power to forgive and redeem because of what he did on the cross. And then He does something incredible; he hurls our forgiven sins completely away from us…never to be seen again.

 

READY? What are you allowing to hinder your walk with Jesus? Are you clinging tightly to a certain sin? Are you ready to call it what it is and throw it off? Ask God to show you what is weighing you down so you can cast it off and run your race in victory.

GET SET.  Psalm 103:12 “As far as the east is from the west He has removed our sins from us.”

GO!  Lord Jesus, I come to you humbly and ask you to show me the sins I’m allowing to weigh me down. Help me acknowledge them before you. I confess them now and ask your forgiveness. Soften my heart so I can be more sensitive to the sins that grieve your heart. Help me let go of anything that keeps me from walking in victory. Amen.

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Blessings to you!

Lisa Preuett

http://www.reststopforthesoul.com

 


Get Out of Your Comfort Zone!

Lisa Preuett

Matthew 14:29  So Peter got out of the boat. He walked on the water toward Jesus. But when Peter saw the wind, he was afraid. He began to sink. He cried out, “Lord, save me!” Right away Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “Your faith is so small! Why did you doubt me?”

After running six half marathons during a four-year stretch, I felt God nudging me to attempt a full marathon. At first I fought against this gentle nudging. What? Are you getting me mixed up with someone else, God? Can’t I just stick with what I’m already doing? But when I realized He was indeed nudging me, I completely surrendered. Yes! I stepped way out of my comfort zone. I’d grown quite comfortable in running half marathons. I knew what to expect. I was comfortable with my pace. Comfortable with the training schedule. Confident in beating my own personal records from previous races. I was satisfied with my collection of medals from finished half-marathons.

But when I finally decided to attempt a full marathon, I stepped into unknown territory. It took me several days to muster up enough courage to actually register for the race. And once I officially registered, fear gripped my heart. I was no longer comfortable.  Maybe you’re comfortable jogging a few miles around the block, but you think you’d be too uncomfortable to sign up for a 5K. Perhaps you’ve grown accustomed to running nothing but 5K’s and the mere thought of going beyond that distance makes you break out in a sweat. You don’t want to leave your comfort zone because it’s just not….comfortable. But you know what? Sometimes that’s exactly where God wants us to be.

I’m sure Peter felt the same way in today’s passage. It’s pretty obvious that Peter most certainly stepped out of his comfort zone! The other disciples huddled together as they watched comfortably from inside the boat. Nobody else dared to follow behind him. He progressed from being a spectator to a participant. He stepped completely out of the boat and then he walked toward Jesus.

But when Peter saw the huge waves in the distance, he began to sink. He didn’t sink from the presence of the waves; he sank because he gawked at the ferocious waves and took his eyes off Jesus. When Jesus calls us out of our comfort zones, the wind and waves may still distract us. What are your distractions? Doubts from your inner soul? Criticism from others who don’t understand? Unexpected circumstances?

When Peter began to sink, he didn’t have to wait long for Jesus to rescue him. It’s because Jesus was right there. When Jesus calls you out of your comfort zone, he doesn’t just watch from a distance. He is right there beside you to catch you when you fall. The first timid step into the unknown can often usher in a tidal wave of fear. When that happens, humbly drop to your knees in prayer. Call out to Him like Peter did and let him rescue you with the strong grip of his loving hand.

READY? Where do you think Jesus is calling you to come out of your comfort zone? Are you still in the boat? Then trust Him as you take that first step out. Are you a few steps out of the boat? Then keep going one step at a time as you fix your eyes on Jesus. Are you beginning to sink? Then call out to Him! He is still there to catch you and get you going again.

GET SET. Psalm 105:4 Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always.

GO!  Lord Jesus, I humbly come to you and ask you to show me where I need to come out of my own comfort zone. Please forgive my unbelief and my human tendency to worry! Help me to not focus on the gushing waves around me, but to focus on the strength and peace you promise when we choose to seek your face. 

 

 

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Blessings to you!

Lisa Preuett

http://www.reststopforthesoul.com

Are You Thoroughly Equipped?

Lisa Preuett

2Timothy 3:16-17  “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

If you’ve lived in the runner’s world for any length of time, you’re familiar with all the specialty stores lined with endless racks of nothing but running attire: shoes, socks, shorts, shirts and jackets.  These items are pricy, yet each piece of equipment is essential if you desire to be thoroughly equipped for running your race effectively.

 

I shook my head in disbelief when I paid $120 for my first pair of running shoes. Really? Why can’t I just wear the cute tennis shoes I got on sale at Target?  An experienced marathon runner explained the facts to me about running shoes, “If you don’t have the proper shoes, you’ll be miserable!”  I had to experience aching feet and painful knees before I realized I didn’t have the right shoes. Shoes are to a runner what tires are to a car. Attempting to use the wrong type is damaging and utterly reckless.

It’s essential to equip yourself with uniquely designed socks allowing your feet to breathe and avoid blisters. There’s also a myriad of shorts, shirts and jackets specifically designed for every occasion and every season of weather.

God also calls us to be thoroughly equipped, my dear friend. If we’re going to run our race of faith well, we too must be thoroughly equipped. What does He call us to equip ourselves with? According to the key verse in Timothy, he’s speaking about the word of God. We must equip ourselves with powerful truth from scripture. These compelling words must first cross the threshold of our mind and penetrate like deep roots to the depth of our soul. We have to intentionally embrace them, meditate on them, ponder them continually and digest them through every fiber of our heart. In doing so we will be prepared for every situation we face.

 

The scripture in Timothy tells us God’s word will teach us. So we must embrace scripture and allow our hearts to soak up this precious knowledge of who He is and how He desires for us to live. His word will also rebuke and correct us when we stumble and get off course. These moments may be difficult, yet we’re promised His truth will set us free. God’s word also trains us for the purposes He’s called us to. The power of His word enables us to humbly walk in the righteousness of Christ.

Just as the runner invests in the necessary equipment, we as followers of Christ must make an investment. Not with money—but with our time and effort. We must be intentional with prioritizing our lives around God’s word, no matter what the cost may be. I foolishly thought the cheap tennis shoes were sufficient, yet I suffered the consequences! In the same way, if we don’t invest in God’s word, we’ll end up with something much more serious than painful blisters and aching knees; we’ll end up with painful consequences and aching hearts. Zipping out the door unequipped leaves us empty and too exhausted for running our daily course. Neglecting time in God’s word is an invitation for damage, disaster and ruin.

 

Dear friend, I urge you to make the most crucial investment of your journey of faith: embrace the word of God as the fuel that fires your very soul! The power of His word will keep you on track to face whatever trials come your way and will thoroughly equip you for every good work.

 

READY?   Are you consistently spending time in God’s word? Are you meditating on the power of His word throughout your day? If this is an area of your faith journey you are lacking in, what needs to change for this to be a priority? If you’re walking through a difficult season, embrace His word to give you strength, hope and peace.

 

GET SET.  Psalm 119:10-11, 105 “I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Your word is a lamp for my feet; a light for my path”

 

GO!  Dear God, I thank you for the gift of your word…that I can hold it in my physical hands and turn the pages with ease. Forgive me for the times I’ve neglected and ignored your precious word. Please ignite a passion in my heart to embrace it like never before. Help me remember the power that comes from your word. May your word be firmly planted and deeply rooted in every area of my life.

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