Starting to feel better; change of medication, I think, has something to do with it.  I used to get up between 0500 and 0530 on a regular basis, I used the time to study, meditate and spend some private time with God.

The past few years, though, I have found myself sleeping in and not getting up until much later.  This past week I am getting up earlier, although still not at the prior time, at least for now.

The one thing I do like about getting up early in the morning is going outside and experiencing the fresh smell of the day.  It is cooler this time of year and it foretells the coming of Fall, which is my favorite time of the year.  It gets warmer in a few short hours, of course, but those early morning breathes of fresh air are great.

Hebrews 12:1-2 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

We have been watching the Olympics quite a bit this past couple of weeks, much cooler for us inside the house.

I observed several things in the races that were run by both men and women.  Lots of thoughts on them, but what happened last night made me think of the race every person must run, and what happens when rules are violated.

The longer races are indeed interesting.  Even though they are running fast times – faster than I would run the 100 meter race, I am afraid, most sit back and run with the group. 

They know that being the fastest out of the starting gate and trying to maintain a lead, seldom works.  While it does happen occasionally, most of the winners have run with patience and pushed themselves to the very limits of their ability towards the end of the race where, since they have paced themselves, they still have energy to finish at the top.

Shorter races, like the 100 meters, need fast running from the starting gate and fast all the way to the end.  They run full out to get the win, or they don’t succeed.

We, of course, have a lifetime to go through so we are should be like the long distance, marathon runners.  We have years to run before the end of the race and it helps to be patient and run with intelligence and focus so that we do not give up before the end comes.

But, both style races give us pause to think.  In the long distance endurance and understanding of how to contain your energy is important.  You don’t want to burn out at the very first only to find yourself unable to complete the race.

As Christians we sometimes forget that we are in God’s service for a long time.  And while it is important to be ready at all times if we push too hard at the first we lose energy, we lose that drive that was instilled in us by the Holy Spirit and far too many burn out without accomplishing what God has laid before them.  Far too many drop out of the race and therefor don’t have a hope of a successful finish.

But even the sprint races can give us reminders.  There is one race called the 4 X 100, that has four participants running 100 meters each.  The first takes off at the gun, if he starts too quickly the whole team is disqualified, they don’t even get a chance to run.

If he starts correctly he carries a baton and passes it on to the second team member, who runs and passes it on to the third, who passes it on to the last man.  Whichever team has their finisher cross the line first wins a gold medal, with the second team receiving silver and the third team wins a bronze.

The rules are fairly simple, disobey them and no matter where you finish, you can be disqualified as the USA team experienced last night.

When the baton is passed from one member to the next, it must be done in a specific area of the track.  Passing before or after that few feet disqualifies the whole team.  The USA had one pass that was done inches outside the zone and were disqualified.

It doesn’t matter that they came in third, it doesn’t matter that it was only inches, they were disqualified, it was as if they weren’t even on the track.

It is disheartening, to say the least, to make a mistake like that.  But, there is no appeal, either they obeyed the rules or they did not.  There can be an appeal in certain circumstances but there was nothing here they could do.

They ran the race.  They practiced hard and long conditioning themselves as individual athletes, getting the right food, the right amount of sleep, encouraging each other as they practiced together, passing the baton from one to another 100’s of times to get their timing right – and it was all for naught, it was if they had never existed.

Dropping the baton – which has happened with the USA team several times in the past – is just as bad. 

You have to follow the rules, or you get no recognition; you have to continue to the end, or the race, but it must be done in good order.

This morning, as I thought about that result I realized how it has its parallel in life.

We have seen many people live ‘good lives.’  They are honest and true in their dealings with others.  They have helped people in their lifetime.  Many have accomplished great things in their lifetime. 

But they never recognized God’s Son for who He is and never accepted Him as their Savior.  They just took for granted that living a ‘good life’ would get them into heaven.

As the rules of the race are very clear, so are God’s rules for man to follow.  The chief of the rules being we are all sinners and MUST come to Him through the Blood of Jesus Christ.

Those that think that since they have run the race to its conclusion will find that they didn’t accept the baton of Christ; they either dropped it without considering it or didn’t accept Him when they were given every opportunity to do so.

No one can be good enough to get to heaven.  No one can earn their way, buy their way or trick their way into heaven.  The pathway and rules are clear:

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

There is no appeal.  Either we go through Christ – while right here on earth – or we lose.

The beauty of God’s rule is that no matter where we finish in the race, we win a crown and join Him forever.

Later, Art :-)