June 2 2025 … Run For the Prize …

June 2 2025 … Run For the Prize    … 

Devotional Song: ... GO TO THIS LINK ...  Please take the time to hear music and lyrics with Steven Curtis Chapman singing… His Strength Is Perfect,  showing all Christians that God gives us HIs strength to run the race of life.

Running to win !! ... 

Highlight Passage: … 1Corinthians 9:24  … [NLT] … 

24 Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!          

…  The Apostle Paul exhorted and encouraged fellow Christians to run the race of life in sharing the Good News of Christ in order to win more souls for God’s Kingdom.       

           

Highlight Passage (in context): … 1Corinthians 9:19-27  [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …  

… Paul uses an athletic word picture to motivate fellow Christians to run the race of life in sharing the Gospel with those we encounter in life.                                                                         

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Highlight Passage (in context): … Isaiah 40:31 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …  

… If we trust in the Lord,,,, as we follow Him, He will give us the strength to run the race of life with His strength 

Reference Passage: … Matthew 24:13 (NLT) …  USE THIS LINK … 

… Jesus teaches His followers that tha those who endure to the end are the ones who will saved.

Reference Passage: … 2Corinthians 12:9-10 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… The Apostle Paul teaches Christ’s truth about overcoming our weaknesses by relying on and trusting in God’s strength.  

Reference Passage: … Philippians 3:12-14 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK … 

… Paul encourages and exhorts fellow Christians to “keep on keeping on” the race of life.

Reference Passage: …  2Timothy 4:7-8 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …

… Paul testifies and encourages Timothy, and all fellow Christins, of his life of strife and struggle for Christ, waiting for the prize that awaited Paul (and for us) in heaven.  

Reference Passage: …  Hebrews 12:1-2 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …

… The Author of Hebrews shows God’s call to run the race of life, enduring what we encounter, but running by keeping our eyes on Christ and running the race for God’s glory.

My Devotional Journal: Today’s Our Daily Bread Author - Monica La Rose … AT THIS LINK      … wrote of the research of Professor Monica Wadhwa, who discovered that losing can be - and often is - more motivating to become a a better runner than winning can be, … the latter often causing aspiring runners to become complacent.   

Decades ago, I decided to run the race of life to honor God.  And along the way, I’ve often failed in my desire to win - FOR HIM.  But those failures  have become what the linked song and the Scriptures shared above relate.  They have helped me “keep on keeping on” as I run my life’s race for God’s glory and the heavenly trophies my Lord has waiting for me in Heaven.  Is Christ calling you to run hard  in this race we call life? Well, let’s go for it again today and then onward tomorrow.

My Thanksgiving: … Oh, King Jesus, thank You, … for giving me Your strength to run this race of life.  

My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, ... King Jesus, ... . I praise You, … again today, Lord. … for lifting us up with Your strength as we run Your race of life.     … Amen

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Blogger Note:  Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled “Our Daily Bread,” distributed online via email by RBC Ministries.  If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.