Proverbs 4 - What it feels like to run forever!

As it seems to be a common theme, I am joining the realm of late bloggers. Punctuality is normally one of my strengths, but blogging is one of my weaknesses. All that to say, let's tackle Proverbs 4 now, and you'll see another blog about Proverbs 21 from me later. :)

Read verses 1-6 once. Once is all about it takes for the writer to get his point across. Why? He basically says the same thing in each verse - "Listen, son, and don't you forget it!" Repetition in the Bible is one of the main ways of making a point, and these 6 verses are being used to make that point. As simple of a message as it may be, many times it's hard to listen to and remember the lessons that we have learned over time. Friends, mentors, small groups, coworkers, parents, parent-figures - this is just a small list of the people that can impact our lives in both positive and negative ways. The only question is, "What are you going to do about it?" Answer - process them into nuggets of wisdom and turn them into lovehandles that never leave our side.

The rest of the chapter is worth the read, and I encourage you to knock out the remaining 21 verses. Sounds daunting? I bet you can do it in less than a minute. :)

Now, here's the part that is relevant to the title of this post. If you read the rest of the chapter, then you came across verse 12:
  "When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble."
A popular verse from Isaiah 40:31 immediately popped into mind:
  "But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
Don't forget, verse 12 from Proverbs is referring to wisdom. Verse 31 from Isaiah is about the vast power of God and how nothing compares to Him. Combine these two together, and you have a formula for an enduring spirit that grows in both wisdom and strength.
My wife and I are runners. We enjoy God's creation, and we get the best view by running through parks, trails, neighborhoods, and many other locations. Our races have been in multiple states with race distances from 13.1 miles to 100 miles. We understand all too well the ideas of growing weary, stumbling on flat pavement, and having the finish line be so far away that quitting sounds more pleasant than pushing on. However, we know that our training has been solid. Our experience has only increased. Our limitations are only as big as we imagine. When we are able to rally within ourselves and recall all of this, we find ourselves able to not only FINISH our races but also be able to bike to work two days later (most races are on a Saturday). :) There are some days where I feel like I can run forever while out on a training run. It's exhilarating. It's days like those that come to mind when I hit a particularly rough patch in a race.
When we hit a rough patch in the rat race of life, don't forget the lessons from your own life, the power of our God, and the wisdom we've gained along the way. Then you will know what it feels like to run forever.
You can also join me for a run sometime. ;)