RUNNING FOR MY LIFE
TODAY’S MEDITATION:
1 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits, 3 who forgives all your iniquity, who HEALS all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, 5 who satisfies you with good so that your YOUTH is RENEWED like the eagle's.
TODAY’S REVELATION:
I woke up this morning saying, “I can’t take another day cooped up in this house! It is beautiful weather, it is not too windy, the sun is out, it’s not raining, guess what?… It’s time to run for my life! It’s time to move this BLESSED ASSURANCE around the block a few times! Bless the Lord O my soul, and bless this body too, Lord! Since our body is the “temple of the Holy Spirit,” we must consecrate our physical life for a renewed spiritual life. We desire for God to renew our youth the way the eagles renew their strength. This current crisis in our communities and around the world should not control or cripple us. We have to create a sense of normalcy in the midst of instability. How do you create a schedule that is consistent and effective? How do you end your day with feeling accomplished? The greatest example in the Bible is from the Creator Himself. This makes the Bible God’s BLUEPRINT for us to build our lives upon its pattern. Remember that the problem is never really the “problem,” but rather the pattern!
That day was not complete until a capable ruler was given dominion over every aspect of Creation. When God created Adam, along with his helpmate, Eve, His perfect plan began to unfold. The Almighty needed someone to take charge of the world He spoke into existence. He needed someone to steward and guard the garden of His presence. Didn’t God make the world for Adam and Even to walk with Him in the cool of the day, feel the breeze of the Holy Spirit, and hear the voice of their Creator? Has God changed in His desire to have an intimate relationship with His sons and daughters that are formed by His own hands? The Bible is very clear that He has not changed, will not change, and better yet, cannot change! he is the eternal and infinite God who created the whole world for his pleasure and for us to enjoy. He wanted man to have dominion over His divine domain. He wanted to trust the earth that he created to those who would be meek in spirit, yet powerful in authority. So we can see that the domains created in days 1-3, coincide perfectly with days 4-6, establishing an appropriate ruler to reign in dominion over each domain. While six days completed the creation, only day seven, the Sabbath, established the Sovereign Ruler over all His creation, and that is the Lord of the Sabbath, God Himself. Our God wanted a day set apart for Him and His people. There’s not a day of legalism or obligation, but rather for regeneration and devotion. The Sabbath is designed to refresh us ant renew us! This day set apart for perfect union between God and man brings Him pleasure and allows us to experience perfect peace from His presence. It should be a pleasure and not a performance of ritual or religious observance.
Can you imagine what God’s garden must have been like, to experience the pleasure of being in total union with Him? Eden, which means a “pleasurable place,” was more beautiful than the Hawaiian islands, more lush with green foliage than Ireland in springtime, more sublime and divine than a day spent in the rain forest of Brazil, with its comforting moisture that balanced the summer heat of its tropical humidity. With an exotic environment like Eden, who would need a honeymoon vacation? Who were the recipients of this wonderful reward? Who did God have in mind, to run His earthly resort, and perfect paradise? Instead of thinking of our self isolation in lockdown as a curse of quarantine, let’s embrace it as a set-apart time to cocoon ourselves in the secret place of the Most High God! King David said that the Lord is our ROCK, our FORTRESS, our DELIVERER, and our STRENGTH. He is our SALVATION and STRONGHOLD, in the midst of this fear of death that surrounds us!” He has promised us that He hears our prayers, as we cry out to Him, and that He will save us from every enemy, including this viral enemy.
1 I will love You, O Lord, my strength. 2 The Lord is my ROCK and my FORTRESS and my DELIVERER; My God, my STRENGTH, in whom I will trust; My SHIELD and the horn of my SALVATION, my STRONGHOLD. 3 I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies. 4 The pangs of death surrounded me, and the floods of ungodliness made me afraid. 5 The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me. 6 In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, and my cry came before Him, even to His ears. - Psalm 18:1-3 (NKJV)
We need to focus on the Bible’s BLUEPRINT on how to have six effective workdays, so that we can enter into His perfect rest on the Sabbath. The Genesis account unfolds from that Sixth Day, after the creating of mammals and land creatures. God went back to the “drawing board,” and formed a masterpiece from a lump of clay. The Potter placed His loving hands on the lifeless substance, and squeezed its form into a vessel that met His approval. The “center of His Wheel” was like the “center of His Will,” to make a mold that He could pour Himself into. This work of art would be the masterpiece that would display His outstanding creativity, skill, and workmanship. His final paint stroke, of this amazing creation, would reveal the multifaceted character. His invisible attributes and unimaginable abilities would reveal all of His divine qualities. While the Creator of the Universe is Himself beyond comprehension, His revelation of His personhood could somehow be on display through the man that reflected His Divine image, and creative potentials. Even God, in all of His Sovereignty, stood back and watched His first created son, ingeniously name everything that the Almighty had spoken into existence. Nothing in Creation reflected His power and authority more, than the royal son that He crowned with His own glory and honor. Remember, as a part of God’s creation, and the work of his hands, we were made for moments like this! We can endure the test of time and overcome this temporary obstacle! This virus will not delay or discourage our victory! We are more than conquerors because of the invincible and unconquerable love that God has for us. we thrive in the midst of tragedy, and we excel beyond average and always strive for excellence! The first thing we will start with is overcoming this obstacle with the spirit of excellence and a great attitude in our hearts. Today we have an attitude of gratitude as we think the Lord for protecting and providing for everyone of our needs. We will use the six days strategically to finish the goals that we have set for our family and those we are connected to, so that we can experience a genuine Sabbath rest. If God can rest and so should we because we are His sons and daughters. So let’s not let this day overwhelm us, or let this virus have victory over us. Instead, we will enter into the Sabbath rest of the Lord as we work diligently to finish our daily tasks and trust God for our daily bread. So put your faith into action, go for a run today, breathe in some fresh air, and experience the breeze of the Holy Spirit and the presence of God!#NoRona #Run4YourLife #MakeitHappen #Exercise4Energy
TODAY’S APPLICATION:
1. Bless the Lord today for renewed youth as you take a prayer walk or a praise run around the block and enjoy some fresh air in the midst of this lockdown.
2. Bless the Lord for all the benefits that you have, as you live in abundance and not lack.
3. Bless the Lord for His provision and protection, as you enter into the perfect rest of His presence and fulfill all of your goals these six days until the Sabbath.
