Wed.’s Devo - Running the Race

Read: Nehemiah 9:22-10:39; 1 Corinthians 9:19-10:13; Psalm 34;1-10a; Proverbs 21:13
Nehemiah reminds them of all the things God has done for their nation in the past and how the people responded to God’s goodness. He reminded them that they were slaves today because of their sins. The priests decided that they would make a binding agreement to follow the Lord and his laws. Then the priests affixed their seals to the writing. The people bound themselves with a curse if they didn’t follow the law. They promised not to give their sons of daughters in marriage to other nations. They promised not to buy on the Sabbath and to let their land rest every seventh year. They promised to fund the temple offerings and it operation. They also promised to bring their first fruits and tithes to the Lord as an offering. Their last statement summed it up: “We will not neglect the house of our God.”
True revival brings a new hunger to read and understand God’s Word. It also brings a fear of the Lord and people want to meet together and give what they have to the Lord. Priorities change and the church and the kingdom becomes the goal.
Paul compares the Christian race to a physical race. The runner will train and submit his body to strict diets and pain in order to run well. In the same way, we have to have self-discipline to run our Christian race which is so much more important because the prize is eternal.
The people of Israel had to go through strict discipline and hardships just as we do, but God’s grace is the ability to remain faithful and not sin. We can do it!
Lord, help us to not live with excuses but to overcome with your overcoming grace. May we run our race and win the prize.