Influencers Weekly Devotional

Abide with ME

Abiding Physically - Part Seven

Run for the Prize

"We are all missionaries. Wherever we go we either bring people nearer to Christ or we repel them from Christ." EricLiddell

SCRIPTURE: When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.” And he said, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you, but if you do not see me, it shall not be so.” And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it and he cried, “My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw him no more. 2 Kings 2: 9-12 THOUGHT: Elijah had just passed his position as a prophet to Israel over to Elisha. Elisha was smart enough to ask for God’s anointing on him, so that he could fulfill his role and serve as effectively as Elijah had. However, God’s anointing is not something a human can control or bestow. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to do this. But God does answer the prayers of one who truly seeks Him, and who wants to serve Him effectively. Elisha’s request was granted to him, for he saw the Chariots of Fire as they took Elijah away. Those chariots of fire represented God’s anointing on Elisha. This anointing is still bestowed on the man who seeks it. But the man who receives it must be willing to carry it wisely, and use it to God’s honor alone. That is the true test in his race for the prize. Is the prize for himself or is to be won and then laid at the King’s feet when he crosses life’s finish line? APPLICATION: Eric Liddell was the man who “Wouldn’t run on Sunday,” and is about whom the Oscar winning movie, Chariots of Fire was made. Known as the “Flying Scotsman,” he was the first of his country to win Gold during the 1924 Paris Olympics. Eric was a committed Christian who just happened to be a great athlete. Because he refused to race on Sunday, he was forced to withdraw from the 100 meter race, which was his best event. Instead, Liddell raced in the 400 meter race, and little was expected of him when he did. When asked how he raced the 400 meter, he said, "The secret of my success over the 400m is that I run the first 200m as fast as I can. Then, for the second 200m, with God's help, I run faster." It is said that as Liddell went to the starting blocks for the race, an American slipped a piece of paper in his hand with a quotation from 1 Samuel 2:30, "For those who honor Me I will honor." Liddell ran with that piece of paper in his hand and not only won the race, but broke the existing world record with a time of 47.6 seconds. Liddell later would achieve a greater prize than Olympic Gold. Eric returned to China to work as a missionary during the time of the Boxer Rebellion. He worked as a teacher in a school for Chinese boys where he taught chemistry and sports. He married in 1934. The London Missionary Society asked him to leave his work in Tientsin and work as a village evangelist in Siao Chang. This was a dangerous area and because of it, the Liddell family had to be parted. He was able to visit on occasions, but it was a long journey, and visits were not frequent. The villages Liddell worked in suffered many hardships as a result of the warring between Communists and Nationalists. The work was dangerous. Traveling in the countryside with Communist and Nationalist forces, who were hostile to missionary work, put Liddell in harm’s way on a regular basis. When the Japanese invaded China in 1940, the Liddell family was separated even more as Eric sent his wife and their children to Canada where they could live with her parents. He stayed behind in Tientsin but was sent by the Japanese to an Internment Camp where 1800 other internees were confined. He didn’t give up, as he continued his missionary work in the camp, by running his race for his King. In a prisoner exchange bargain, his freedom was arranged by Winston Churchill, but he gave it up and let a pregnant woman leave instead. In 1944, Liddell fell ill. On February 21, 1945, he began coughing uncontrollably, and as friends came to his aid, he lay back and uttered the words “It is surrender”. Later, an autopsy revealed that Liddell had a large tumor on the left side of his brain. He died but left a legacy of his faith. He was truly committed to the cause of Christ. He had the opportunity to leave China, but he chose to stay. He poured his life into the work of reaching the lost in China. He worked for a prize far greater than the Olympic gold he had won. In the end he won the prize that went with him into eternity. As I reflect of the life story of Eric Liddell, I think of a man who lived an anointed life. However, his life was certainly not exempt from trials and hardships. But the challenges did not take him out of his race or cause him to falter. He approached his challenges with the same philosophy as running the 400 meter race, which is arguably the hardest of all field events. He did the best in what he could do, and then, allowed God to help him do better because of His anointing. He had a successful partnership with God that blended his efforts with God’s abilities, and they produced great works because of it. It was when he knew he could do no more that he saw his life’s finish line. He surrendered his fight with life and took the prize that awaited him. May you and I run such a life race as the Flying Scotsman, Elijah and Elisha. May it be that we to see God’s Chariots of Fire, His anointing, and may they lead us through this life and to the one promised us. May it be that we can face our King as these men did and hear Him say, “What a great race you ran My son. Come and receive your prize.” May it be that you and I can lay this prize at His feet and say to Him, “To Your glory my King.” REPLY: My King, I have found that there is no greater prize to give my life for, than the one that comes from You. Your prize represents all the good things You have done for me, and my response by serving others. The greatest part of this prize is that it starts and finishes with You. But, I also know I have my part to play. There are times that I am so weary with my race, and it refreshes me to read about how Eric Liddell ran his 400 meter race. He said he runs as fast as he can from the start and relies on You to make him faster when he can do no more. It is the same with me. Father, I need Your anointing. I need to see Your Chariots of Fire come to me. Let it be so Lord, and I will make sure that all honor and glory goes to You. It is the name of Jesus I pray. Rocky TO DOWNLOAD A COPY OF THIS DEVOTIONAL, CLICK HERE