Have you ever run a race? Most of us have, even if it was just with a friend who said, “I’ll beat you to the tree!” Then off we ran as fast as we could for the tree so one of us could say, “I won!”
But it’s not only children that run races. Sometimes teens and grown-ups really get serious about running in races, and they work hard, often running every day to help their legs and breathing to become stronger. That is what a young man named Scott had been doing for several years. He wanted to come in first in a marathon race, which is really an outstanding victory for a runner. The first three runners crossing the finish line usually win medals.
It takes a lot of training for anybody to run a marathon race, whether they come in first or in the middle or last. Do you know how long a marathon race is? It is 26 miles and 385 yards! Most of us ride in a car if we are going that far!
There are rules a marathon runner must follow, just as there are rules for you and me to follow every day of our lives. Did you know that God wants us to follow His rules so that we may receive a reward in heaven? Before we can even start training for that reward, we must accept God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, as our Saviour. Have you done that? John 3:3636He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36) explains what each of us must do: “He that believeth on the Son [the Lord Jesus Christ] hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life.” When we read God’s Word, the Bible, we learn of other “rules” everyone should follow, but especially once we have accepted the Lord Jesus as our Saviour. Do not kill, do not steal, do not lie, and honor your father and mother (Luke 18:2020Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor thy father and thy mother. (Luke 18:20)) are just a few of the things we should do to please God.
Scott really liked to run, so it was not hard for him to train for a marathon. Last winter in a marathon race in Fort Worth, Texas, he ran faster than 9,000 other runners, and he finished first! He was more than three minutes ahead of the second-place runner. But instead of a celebration at the end of the race, there was confusion because of a rule Scott had not obeyed.
Every marathon race has a rule that each runner must register to run, and Scott had not registered to run in that race. To add to the confusion, Scott was wearing a friend’s shirt with the friend’s name on it. His friend had registered, but for some reason he could not run that day. The race officials were quick to take first place away from Scott and give it to runner number two.
Scott knew the registration rule, but he disobeyed it and ran anyway. Do you suppose that at any time he had read this warning in the Bible: “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:2323But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out. (Numbers 32:23))? He did admit to the race officials that he had not registered. Even though he had worked so hard to win, breaking that rule caused him to lose the first prize. He also lost the chance to run in a much more popular marathon later in the year. “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one [receives] the prize? So run, that ye may [receive the prize]” (1 Corinthians 9:2424Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. (1 Corinthians 9:24)).
Scott did not run by the rules, so he did not receive the medal as a reward. How about you? Are you following God’s instructions so that you will receive a reward in heaven? He is willing to help you do that, if you will ask Him. “In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:66In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. (Proverbs 3:6)).
ML-07/22/2012