“Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them (Psalm 139:16 —139 is a Wisdom Psalm of descriptive Praise).”
Trusting God’s sovereignty, rule and control over everything, is often easier said than endured; especially when His plans differ from ours. This Psalm and other Biblical illustrations of God’s reign over all of creation stabilize, encourage, and humble us in our perceived failures and successes.
“People try to deny God’s sovereignty to allow for randomness and evolution,” Dr. J. Lanier Burns, Sr. Professor of Theology, Dallas Theological Seminary, Dallas, TX.
God simply expects us to trust Him (Prov 3:5-7) and keep our eyes heavenward (Php 3:13-14, 20) His wisdom far exceeds ours (Ro 11:34), therefore we lack the understanding to explain the greater purpose of challenges and victories while swimming in the sea of life. For example, in May 2015, I gratefully received a Pro Athlete entry into the USA Masters Marathon Championship held in conjunction with the Twin Cities Marathon on October 4, 2015.
My excitement and determination to succeed escalated. I continued listening to Lyle Claussen, my coach of twenty–five years while preparing for this marathon. I once avoided any injury for eleven consecutive years. My fitness level provided a realistic opportunity to challenge my twenty–year old personal best in the marathon.
I humbly and joyfully prayed throughout the training cycle to glorify God in every way. We glorify God through our faithful love, obedience (Mt 7:21), enduring suffering (Php 1:29, 3:8), and extending Christ’s mercy to others whether we achieve secular greatness or utterly fail.
Conversely, the world promotes the errant Prosperity Gospel, the belief that God’s favor results in worldly success and astounding performances.
The intense training provided soaring confidence the week of the marathon.
Race day finally arrived. I felt strong and fast! The crisp forty–two degree October air offered ideal racing conditions. Mentally, the first six miles passed like two. Portent of the remaining twenty miles, my Garmin gps watch permanently lost satellite reception about the same time as I stepped on uneven pavement in the curb while running the tangent around the curving road near the 10K marker. My left glute muscle began cramping.
I nearly quit the marathon at each of the remaining aide stations due to perpetual cramping and the resulting limping. Despite the diligent physical, mental, and spiritual preparation for this race, the last twenty miles were the most miserable of my 124,000 lifetime miles.
As I ran the final stretch along Summit Ave in St. Paul, MN, I continued Running on Faith, trusting that my race would glorify the Lord Jesus Christ regardless of my time or place (Php 1:12-14). Faith also in eternal life with God only through Christ’s death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins for those who believe in Him (John 3:16-18).
Do you ever ask yourself something such as, “Why did this injury happen in this big race after all of my preparation?” Or, “Why does God allow suffering?”
The Bible, both in specific passages and as a whole, beautifully illustrates and assure us of God’s sovereignty. For example, Psalm 139:1-16 explains that God knows our thoughts and words before we know them; as well as the number and our activities of each of our days before we existed. We often struggle in life with understanding why God allows tough, seemingly impossible challenges; whether injuries, financial, relational, or loss of loved ones. The Bible also teaches that God’s wisdom far exceeds all of man’s wisdom (Job 38-41; Ro 11:34).
Dr. Chuck Swindoll succinctly summarized God’s sovereignty when I visited with him a few months later. “Rick, God knows the precise timing, placement, magnitude, duration, and effects of our every injury before we are born.”
However, due to my pride and ego, devastation struck for the next several hours after crossing the finish line. Because, I focused on my failure to achieve my goals instead of focusing on God’s greater plan established before I was born.
This includes glorifying Christ by remaining joyful, prayerful, and grateful (1 Thess 5:16-18) through suffering, such as enduring an unexplained injury during a major championship. My attitude brightened once I refocused on scripture and glorifying Christ in all circumstances.
Through diligently internalizing scripture and persistently praying, God directs the necessary thoughts and people into our lives to achieve His will. We obey with prudent action because we strive to please God whom we love (1Jn 4:19). The resulting journey and destination often differ from our original expectations.
Let’s examine a few other biblical examples of God’s sovereignty. For example, Zechariah (Lk 1:1-13) is chosen by lot (Prov 16:33) to serve as the priest to offer the incense in the temple where an angel informs him of God hearing his long-time prayer for a son, John the Baptist. Elizabeth gave birth to John six months before Mary delivered Jesus.
“The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the LORD” (Proverbs 16:33).
Because approximately 18,000 priests vied for the position of entering the temple, priests were chosen only once in their lifetime. The prophet Isaiah (Is 40:3; Lk 3:4) announced the future arrival of John the Baptist as the forerunner of Christ approximately 725 years before Zechariah’s encounter with the angel (Isaiah prophesied from 742–701 BC).
Since God operates within His decreed and permitted will, how should we respond to life’s challenges and setbacks such as an injury that disrupts our dreams and goals?
“Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18).
We do so because we know loving God necessitates obeying Him, and because He is God, we trust Him (Romans 8:28).
God uses a variety of circumstances, including injuries to athletes, to transform us into His image, growing closer to His character—a lifelong process which we never complete.
Obviously, no athlete seeks or initially welcomes an injury. However, if or when you suffer another injury, remember that God knew about and permitted this injury, in this moment of time before the world knew about you.
Therefore, pray, rejoice, and give thanks. Ask God to reveal how this disappointment advances your spiritual maturity, deepens your relationship with and serving of Jesus Christ who offers salvation for all who believe in Him.
Ultimately, know that God loves you and reigns over your entire life. Expend your every ounce of energy in serving Jesus Christ whether performing at your highest level or enduring injuries.
Because, “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father (Colossians 3:17).”
http://rickemeyer.com/running-on-faith.htm
Additional Bible Study:
Other Biblical examples of God's Sovereignty:
1 Samuel 9 -- Having grown-up on a Kansas farm, I don't recall any of us getting excited when livestock got out / lost.
Yet, isn't it amazing how God used Kish's donkeys getting lost to connect Saul and Samuel?
- What happened during today's Run or Race that God may use to direct you in serving Him?
- Who did you meet today?
- What did you learn about them?
- How may you serve them or someone they know?
- Record your thoughts during today's run. Share if appropriate
- Do today's thought topics, beyond running, correlate with past thoughts? If so, how, how many, frequency, common donominator on prompting this topic?
What else does the Bible say about Suffering:
"More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law,
but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead." (Philippians 3:8–11)
"For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me." (Philippians 1:29–30)
- Are you willing to share in Christ's suffering?
- How are you currently suffering for His sake?
- How have you suffered for Christ in the past?
- Does your type of suffering differ over time?
- How does your suffering relate to other areas of your life?
- Will changing anything in your training (or life) alleviate your suffering?
- Who else do you see suffering for Christ? How are they suffering, from your perspective?
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