Race Worthy

So, in all seriousness now, I am going to tell you something that God showed me. and it has nothing to do with dead rabbits.

Yesterday at boot camp, for one of the stations, we had to run around the building…outside…in the dark.  Remember, it’s 5 in the morning here.  Normally, running around the building wouldn’t be a big deal—it wouldn’t thrill me—but it wouldn’t terrify me either.

Yesterday, it terrified me.  It terrified me because as we came out the door of the building—in the light—we swiftly rounded the corner—and were immersed in complete darkness.  This darkness was not the kind of thing where you can kind of see your feet moving or sense that there might be danger near;  It was the kind of darkness where everything is unseen.  Now remember, I was RUNNING in this darkness…unable to see where I was going…or even if anyone was in front of me…unable to see if there was an obstacle ahead that I was going to run into, fall over and break my head open.  But I kept running because I figured that Jeff (the head honcho) had checked out the pathway in the light and found it safe.  I also trusted that he wouldn’t place anything in the path to purposely trip me up.  He was trying to get me in shape, not put me in the hospital.  I trusted that Jeff had my best in mind, so I ran in the dark even though I was scared.

Sometimes in my life, I feel like I am running in the dark.  And sometimes I want to stop and walk or even turn around and go back because I don’t know what is ahead.  But I think God showed me this whole thing to say, “Hey, Tori, you can trust Me too—even when you can’t see your future.  I am Reliable.” 

Why do I find it so much easier to trust a fallible man with skin on rather than a perfect God whom I cannot see? Because sometimes I struggle believing that God is good all the time.  but He is.  And sometimes I tremble when I see the waves of life coming at me; I think He must have forgotten me. but He hasn’t.  And sometimes, I’m scared of the dark, dark stuff that this world serves up and I think that Satan is the victor.  but he’s not.

God’s purposes will prevail.  I want to be a part of those purposes. That means I have to run in the dark sometimes—even when I don’t like it or I don’t understand.

I place my confidence in His promises;

For he will command his angels concerning you
   to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands,
   so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. (Ps 91:11-12)

I place my trust in His victory;

 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom. 8:37-39)

And I hide my life in the life of His Son;

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. (Col 3:2-3)

If God is for me, who can be against me?

Even in the dark.

I’ll trust Him. Will you?

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:1-2