Running the Race as a Winner
Day Fourteen
Never cast off, I am pitied, protected, and chastened;
Sealed to the day of redemption, an heir to the promises
By my Father.[i]
The Church is the true seed of faithful Abraham – Jew and non-Jew together; we are chosen by God, justified through faith, and delivered from sin.[ii]We, the children of faith, have acquired blamelessness [iii]through our confidence in the God of our salvation; and we are free from the law of sin and death.[iv] We are the family of a loving Father[v]– the community of the resurrection. We are fit and formed together by the one who began and will finalize the vocation and development of the individual parts of the whole – the body of Christ – the Church.[vi]
This is the fourteenth day of our wonderful challenge of running the race as a winner. As ones who are running in the victory already won, we will look for God’s direction in all that touches us. We know the Father is with us all the way – supportive in difficulty, ready to come to our defense, listening to what we have to say; we look for his answer in his Word and now it is wisdom speaking. He accepts us as we are but quickens us to new awareness; challenging us to greater heights, he induces more understanding by stimulating superior insight. He shows us our position spiritually, which gives us increased self-esteem, bringing light to our darkness and moving us to walk closer to himself.[vii]
Prayer: Lord God, my Father, my Savior, my Friend; you my strength; your law is perfect, it restores my soul; your testimonies are sure, they turn my simple faith to wisdom; your precepts are right, they put joy in my heart; your commandment is pure, it brings understanding to my sight. I will continually search the Scriptures for a better understanding of your character and that will strengthen the bond between us.
[i] James 1:17; Hebrews 12:3-11; Ephesians 1:11-13; I Corinthians 1:3.
[ii] Romans 9:6-8.
[iii] Romans 9:30-33.
[iv] Romans 8:2.
[v] Matthew 7:9; 6:26-34: John 17:6-19.
[vi] Romans 6:5; 8:29; I Peter 2:5; Ephesians 1:4-14; Philippians 1:6; 2:13.
[vii] Psalm 139; 50:15; 91: 66:16-19; 19:7-11; 119:103-112; Ephesians 1:6;Romans 8:26-27; Galatians 5:16-26; romans 8:31-39; Ephesians 1:18-23.
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