Jeremiah 6: 14 They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. ‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace.
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Edmund Burke (1729-1797)
I'm less than 1 week away from running my first (and likely my only) marathon. I have trained well and I am in a period called 'tapering' which is getting my body as rested as I can- hydrated- full of glycogen- totally recovered from all the training.
I have followed a training plan by the book- I have run 20 miles twice- and have done all that my advisor (halhigdon.com) has told me to.
But regardless of all I have done- I do know what is coming. Whether I feel great or not on Saturday- at about mile 17/18/19 (I'm praying not sooner) I will hit the point where it is time to just keep going. I have experienced this on a smaller scale during my training- the worst run I had was an 18 miler where I was already struggling on mile 5 (one of the most miserable experiences of my life). Bottom line- I have a fight coming- and it will push me- but WHEN I cross the finish line I will feel a tremendous sense of triumph.
Proverbs 24 outlines the 'fight' of the wise and the righteous. I'm sorry to report, but no one gets out of this war. You are either on the side of evil or good- but you hit the ground running everyday in an all out spiritual battle with eternity at stake.
I am going to list some of these attributes from this chapter:
1 Do not envy the wicked,
do not desire their company;
2 for their hearts plot violence,
and their lips talk about making trouble.
Here is your enemy- they never rest- and lust after your destruction.
5 The wise prevail through great power,
and those who have knowledge muster their strength.
6 Surely you need guidance to wage war,
and victory is won through many advisers.
How can you win if you do not plan or do not get help? I think my biggest failure in things in not to enlist help and strike out on my own... BIG MISTAKE.
10 If you falter in a time of trouble,
how small is your strength!
11 Rescue those being led away to death;
hold back those staggering toward slaughter.
12 If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,”
does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?
Does not he who guards your life know it?
Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done?
Sadly, this is the general experience of a lot of believers- soft and frail- and more willing to beg out of the fight. One day, I will get to further elaborate.But it is an encouragement in my new job to be willing to step in and lovingly, boldly confront- I may get to help save 1 starfish in the process. One life matters!
16 for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again,
but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.
We will get knocked down in this battle.This is EASTER, it is all about rising up in victory- don't STAY down (look at the picture again at the top of this post- struggle well- keep digging!) I am posting the famous Balboa speech to his son as motivation to get back up.
Life Ain't All Sunshine and Rainbows
17 Do not gloat when your enemy falls;
when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice,
18 or the LORD will see and disapprove
and turn his wrath away from them.
As believers we win and lose with class! Let God handle what consequences need to come. Be sober when they happen.
21 Fear the LORD and the king, my son,
and do not join with rebellious officials,
22 for those two will send sudden destruction on them,
and who knows what calamities they can bring?
Whose team do you want to be on?
3 By wisdom a house is built,
and through understanding it is established;
4 through knowledge its rooms are filled
with rare and beautiful treasures.
This is what I want........What about you?
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