Harvest Daily Devotional 11/21/03

Harvest Daily Devotional 
by Pastor Greg Laurie

---

November 21, 2003

Running to Win

 

“Remember that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize.  You also must run in such a way that you will win.” (1 Corinthians 9:24)

 

Not long ago, I celebrated my 50th birthday.  Getting older is not a depressing thought, because from the day I gave my life to Jesus Christ, it has been an adventure.  I don’t regret a single day of my life that I have spent following and serving the Lord.

 

Sure, my life has had some surprises.  One of them has been seeing people who I never thought would make it in the Christian life make it, and seeing people who I never thought would fall, fall.  Some people have a powerful start and then crash and burn.  Others have a rather weak start, but somehow pull it together in the end.  Best of all, there are some who start and finish the race with flying colors.  I want to be one of those people.  Don’t you?

 

Here is what we need to remember.  We do have a say so as to how the race we run will turn out.  Let me put it another way.  If you want to be a winner in the race of life, then you can be.  If you want to be a loser, then you can be.  It really comes down to the choices you make on a daily basis.  As I have said before, people fall away from the Lord because, for all practical purposes, they choose to.  They neglect certain things, and at the same time, allow other things into their lives.

 

As we make our decisions, our decisions will make us.  What practical steps can you take today to ensure that you will be running well in the Christian race 25 years from now?

 

Copyright © 2003 by Harvest Ministries.  All rights reserved.  Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189.  All rights reserved.