One Race, One Lane, One Baton

Psalm 71

“ Deliver me, O my God, .. For thou art my hope, (and).. my trust from my youth. By thee have I been holden up from the womb : thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels :.. I am as a wonder unto many ...I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more ... (for) thy righteousness and thy salvation .. for I know not the numbers thereof. I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD:..thou hast taught me from my yout h..also when I am old..forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power t o every one that is to come. Thy righteousness .. is very high, who hast done great things..who is like unto thee! Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt (also)..quicken me again, and ..shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every sid e. My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long: f or they are confounded, for they are brought unto shame, that seek my hurt ”. (v.4&c.)

We are all participating in life’s race. Even though our pace and skill sets are vastly different, we are each assigned our own lane that begins from a starting point and eventually concludes at a ribboned finish. When we consider aspects shared with us here, the analogy of our “life’s race” is very appropriate.

Let’s consider the starting point of the race as David shares how God was with him from birth (the womb), as God “ took me out of my mother's bowels”. His training started by trusting God’s coaching, ( thou hast taught me from my youth). David then recognizes God’s care was always present in his life even when he was not aware of it behind the scenes, (thy salvation .. for I know not the numbers thereof). He shares how his friends and foes took notice of his achievements and endurance despite the many challenges he had faced, (shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt (also)..quicken me again). David attributed his acquired abilities and skills from the personal training of God himself, (shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side). David knew that the success of his endurance was not about his own strength, but by God’s love and mercy. As he reflects on this thought, his confidence to complete the race before him was renewed. The words, “ My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long” meant he literally mouthed the words as he spoke to himself. He found himself filled with gratitude as he considered how God had been with him every step of the way. When David envisions the finish line ( when I am old ), he is eager to encourage new runners on the field. He is compelled to pass the baton of faith to his teammates that join him in the race ( until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation..). As this passage concludes, David no longer reflects on his initial request, “ Deliver me, O my God ”. This is because he now has full assurance that his request had already been answered in full, ( for they are confounded, for they are brought unto shame, that seek my hurt).

The God that cared for us from our youth is with us even now. He provided each of us our own lane in this contest of life. We are not left alone to run the race on our own strength. God desires to train us in becoming a champion every day, which may require particular trials that are different from other runners. Don’t be distracted by what other athletes do in their lanes. Our coach will always be there to partner with us and train us to become the athlete he needs. There is joy in the race. Run in full assurance toward the finish. Remember to pass the baton to those that follow. I am happy we are all on the same team, my friends. Have a wonderful day.