I have had the great pleasure and honor of sharing inspirational words with my fellow runners at the Interfaith Chapel at the start of the New York City Marathon. I find it extremely inspiring to share God’s word before the race as we all prepare for the long miles ahead. This year I participated in two services and, as such, delivered two “sermons.” I will share both of these messages here on my blog. I hope, these words also inspire you and your faith as well.
God Is With Us Today:
We are gathered here with similar emotions.
Excitement.
Fear.
Dread.
Anticipation.
We know, whether this is our first, or our 100th marathon, what awaits us.
There will be moments of glory –
And moments of pain.
We will suffer today.
We will suffer physically.
We will suffer emotionally.
The marathon is a battle of wills. It’s as much a mental exercise as a physical one.
It’s hard.
It’s an emotional roller coaster.
There will be times on the course, where all seems lost.
But I am here to tell you that all is not lost. All is glory. All is wonder. All is joy.
In our worst moments on the course, we only need to look up to God.
He has already told us that everything is going to be alright.
He shared these words with us.
He asks us, in our darkest moments, and, dear friends, there will be dark moments today ahead for many of us…
He asks us…
No, he tells us… to look for him when we struggle.
That is what he wants.
The words that tell us this are found in Joshua 1:9. It is there that the Bible says:
“Be strong and courageous.
Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
God Bless!
It is there.
Be STRONG! We are strong.
Be COURAGEOUS! We are courageous!
Do not let the dark periods on the course bring you down. Instead, at those moments, look to God. Pray, to yourself quietly, or if you dare, pray out loud and ask God to remind you that he is there.
Because he is.
He is with all of us.
And he will be with all of us… as we cover the miles today.
The glorious miles. The wondrous miles.
God is with us…wherever we go.
Let him run the race with you today.
Open your hearts, and your mind, and your body to him.
When you need a boost, he will carry you.
Have a great race.
God loves you. We all love you.
Bask in the glory of God and bask in the glory of the New York City Marathon!
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