August 1, 2023

I take my dog for a walk pretty regularly, and we walk hard and fast. In the beginning he pulls me and then when he gets exhausted I pull him. I am neither graceful nor naturally athletic. I played baseball and soccer as a kid, but I was the one spacing out in a corner of the field. As I walk with my dog, I often get distracted by admiring nature and talking to God. I find myself looking up more than looking down. But sidewalks are broken and unleveled by the shifting of the earth. Inevitably, if I’m not paying attention to the path, I trip. By the grace of God, I don’t fall. And I can honestly say that every time I take my dog for a walk, I find myself praising God and thanking Him for keeping me from crashing.

If they stumble badly they will still survive, for the Lord lifts them up with his hands.
Psalms 37:24 TPT

On one of my snowboarding trips, I had what’s called a “yard sale”. It was so bad that all of my equipment exploded off my body and spread out in the snow around me. I definitely had a concussion and my whole body hurt. I laid there for a while, just thinking through all of my body parts, doing a mental scan to see if I’d broken anything. When I could finally get up, I gathered all of my equipment and walked down the mountain, carrying my snowboard. I went back to the cabin convinced I was completely done with snowboarding.

Sako called me from Texas. She said, “You are not ending on a failure. You can quit later if you want to, but you are not permitted to quit after a crash. Can you see the mountain?” Our cabin actually had a great view of the mountain on which I had wiped out. I answered, “Yes.” “Get up and face the mountain.” I did. “Now forgive the mountain.” I forgave the mountain. “Forgive yourself.” I forgave myself. “Tell the mountain that you’re coming back.” I told the mountain I was coming back. And I did. I went a couple more snowboarding trips after that experience. I may not snowboard anymore, but it won’t be because of that crash. Thank God for Sako. We all need coaches in our lives.

Life is a continual journey meant to be taken in close intimacy with Jesus and our spiritual siblings. This world is broken by sin, and if we’re not watching our step it’s very easy to trip. And occasionally we may even crash. When we crash, if we’re not keeping our eyes on Jesus and if we don’t have our spiritual siblings around to challenge ad encourage us, we experience fear which opens the trapdoor of trauma. Forgive the sidewalk, forgive yourself, and arise and walk.

I’ve referred to tripping and crashing, but what am I truly talking about? What does it mean to trip in life? What does it mean to stumble? God sets our path and establishes our steps. We can stumble because our eyes are on the wrong things. We can stumble because our hearts desire the wrong things. We can stumble because of what someone else does to us. It can be distraction, pride, rebellion — whatever it is that causes you to stop confidently advancing. But don’t overemphasize the stumbling or the things that cause it. Life is the journey. Arise and walk.

Many years ago, I came upon a poem that massively impacted me. I’ve read this poem before, so if you’ve heard it, please bear with me.

The Race
attributed to Dr. D.H. “Dee” Groberg

Whenever I start to hang my head in front of failure’s face,
my downward fall is broken by the memory of a race.
A children’s race, young boys, young men; how I remember well,
excitement sure, but also fear, it wasn’t hard to tell.
They all lined up so full of hope, each thought to win that race
or tie for first, or if not that, at least take second place.
Their parents watched from off the side, each cheering for their son,
and each boy hoped to show his folks that he would be the one.

The whistle blew and off they flew, like chariots of fire,
to win, to be the hero there, was each young boy’s desire.
One boy in particular, whose dad was in the crowd,
was running in the lead and thought “My dad will be so proud.”
But as he speeded down the field and crossed a shallow dip,
the little boy who thought he’d win, lost his step and slipped.
Trying hard to catch himself, his arms flew everyplace,
and midst the laughter of the crowd he fell flat on his face.
As he fell, his hope fell too; he couldn’t win it now.
Humiliated, he just wished to disappear somehow.

But as he fell his dad stood up and showed his anxious face,
which to the boy so clearly said, “Get up and win that race!”
He quickly rose, no damage done, behind a bit that’s all,
and ran with all his mind and might to make up for his fall.
So anxious to restore himself, to catch up and to win,
his mind went faster than his legs. He slipped and fell again.
He wished that he had quit before with only one disgrace.
“I’m hopeless as a runner now, I shouldn’t try to race.”

But through the laughing crowd he searched and found his father’s face
with a steady look that said again, “Get up and win that race!”
So he jumped up to try again, ten yards behind the last.
“If I’m to gain those yards,” he thought, “I’ve got to run real fast!”
Exceeding everything he had, he regained eight, then ten…
but trying hard to catch the lead, he slipped and fell again.
Defeat! He lay there silently. A tear dropped from his eye.
“There’s no sense running anymore! Three strikes I’m out! Why try?
I’ve lost, so what’s the use?” he thought. “I’ll live with my disgrace.”
But then he thought about his dad, who soon he’d have to face.

“Get up,” an echo sounded low, “you haven’t lost at all,
for all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall.
Get up!” the echo urged him on, “Get up and take your place!
You were not meant for failure here! Get up and win that race!”
So, up he rose to run once more, refusing to forfeit,
and he resolved that win or lose, at least he wouldn’t quit.
So far behind the others now, the most he’d ever been,
still he gave it all he had and ran like he could win.
Three times he’d fallen stumbling, three times he rose again.
Too far behind to hope to win, he still ran to the end.

They cheered another boy who crossed the line and won first place,
head high and proud and happy — no falling, no disgrace.
But, when the fallen youngster crossed the line, in last place,
the crowd gave him a greater cheer for finishing the race.
And even though he came in last with head bowed low, unproud,
you would have thought he’d won the race, to listen to the crowd.
And to his dad he sadly said, “I didn’t do so well.”
“To me, you won,” his father said. “You rose each time you fell.”

And now when things seem dark and bleak and difficult to face,
the memory of that little boy helps me in my own race.
For all of life is like that race, with ups and downs and all.
And all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall.
And when depression and despair shout loudly in my face,
another voice within me says, “Get up and win that race!”

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28 ESV

Even the tripping and stumbling, the mistakes and rebellion… Those don’t distract God from the journey. He says, “Trust Me, child. I will work all things for your good, even what may appear as failures. Just hear My voice and listen to My call. Get up and win the race!”

We need to make sure we have the right view of God. He wants you to win. And when I say “win” I don’t mean do greater than those around you. I mean finish the race he has set before you. “And all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall.”

He wants you to succeed and prosper and grow as you advance in the journey WITH HIM. It’s actually more about knowing the heart of the One who runs alongside you.

“Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper [Paraklētos] will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.”
John 16:7

Jesus said that He had to go so that He could send the Helper (Holy Spirit). Paraklētos means one called alongside. You don’t JUST have a Heavenly Father cheering from the sidelines. You have His Spirit running right alongside you with His arms wrapped around you, strengthening you, keeping you from stumbling, and helping you to rise.

Don’t receive shame. Don’t allow yourself to lay down in self-pity. Don’t listen to the lies of the enemy, including his lie that you’re too far behind and you’ll never catch up. Our God is the Redeemer, and He redeems it all, even time.

In our Bible reading this past week, King Ahaz had led the nation into the depths of depravity and sin. In rejection of the Lord God, he’d swung open the city gates to every evil enemy intention. The kingdom had fallen so low that it seemed it would never be restored. I imagine the predominant thought was that it was too late to save the country or that it would take generations and generations to correct the wrong decisions made by the nation’s leaders and influencers. Then Ahaz died and his son Hezekiah came to power at the age of twenty-five. In the first month of his reign, Hezekiah put his full energy and focus on restoring the nation to its Founding Father God. He commanded the religious leaders and all of the nation to repent, to be purified, and to restore right worship of the Lord.

And Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced because God had provided for the people, for the thing came about suddenly.
2 Chronicles 29:36 ESV

Have you ever rejoiced in God’s “suddenly”? Yes, the Lord works in ways that build our trust and godly character, and so His timing can often stretch longer than our preference. But He also operates SUDDENLY.

As the people unified in repentance, they rejoiced for “the thing came about suddenly.” What was “the thing”? God’s provision. The people turned back to God and God suddenly provided for the people in such a way that all recognized and all rejoiced.

No situation is hopeless when we repent and surrender our lives to the Lord. In trusting Jesus, His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension:

We are suddenly cleansed and forgiven.
We are suddenly reborn as co-heirs with Jesus — as sons and daughters of God.
We are suddenly authorized as agents of the Kingdom of God.
We are suddenly the chosen, the elect, and the beloved.
We are suddenly seated in the third heaven with our Father God on His holy thrown, above all powers, principalities, rulers, and dominions.

All that suddenly happens in eternity also reverberates in the natural. What is the thing that is coming about suddenly in your life?

When reformation came to the Kingdom of Judah, it came quickly and radically. No one imagined that the turn-around could happen so fast.

Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.
Isaiah 30:18 ESV

In this verse, the word “wait” includes a sense of longing. The Lord is longing to be gracious to you and show His mercy to you. And you are blessed when your life is consumed by longing for Him.

O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help.
Psalms 86:5 NLT

He is ready to forgive. He is eager and quick to forgive. When we mess up, the Lord doesn’t want to hear an apology from us. Confession isn’t saying you’re sorry. You are naturally sorry when you make a mistake. When I know I did something wrong, I feel bad. But what does that sorrow produce?

For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.
2 Corinthians 7:10 NLT

Confession is admitting where and how you made the mistake, acknowledging it, and then restoring our attention to the right journey. He doesn’t take pleasure in groveling and self-loathing. He wants to see you stand up and get back in the race. Did you sin? Do you feel sorry? Okay. Don’t stay in a place of immobilizing and condemning regret, shaking your head in disappointment and muttering over and over, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” Arise and run!

Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Isaiah 58:8 ESV

Your restoration shall spring up speedily! As we rise and fix our eyes upon Him, the Lord is ready to forgive, He is ready to show us mercy, He is ready to empower us with His grace, and He is ready to work a turbo redemption.

What do you think I mean when I say “turbo redemption”? Activation of the suddenly. He is eager to operate speedily.

The devil wants you to believe you have to dig yourself out of whatever hole you’ve gotten yourself into. The devil wants you to believe that redemption is a long road of getting what you deserve. The devil is a liar. Jesus already took the punishment you deserve and now offers you the Kingdom He deserves.

Here is the truth:

The Lord is so good.
The Lord is ready to forgive.
The Lord is so full of loving kindness.
The Lord provides.
The Lord makes things come about suddenly.

I want to encourage all of you. Now is the time to arise and run! This is a word for each of us individually, for us corporately, and for our nation. Don’t stop, don’t pull back, don’t surrender, don’t retire, don’t hide, don’t nurse your wounds, don’t pull the covers over your head, don’t medicate, don’t drop out or check out… Now is the time to arise and run! Get up and win the race!

Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.
1 Corinthians 9:24-25 NLT

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
Hebrews 12:1 NLT

Arise and run!
Matt