Isaiah 61:7 ”Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs. ” “

DAILY READING – Hebrews 7; Exodus 3:1-4:31; Psalm 41

Eric Liddell was Scotland’s fastest runner in the 1920’s. He was also a Christian who walked in the fear of God and always desired to honor Him.
At the 1924 Olympics in Paris, Eric was Scotland’s only hope of winning a gold medal in the 100-meter dash. However, few days to the race, Eric found out that it would take place on a Sunday. For Eric, Sunday was a day of worship and rest, and he wouldn’t miss Church, not even for an Olympic gold medal. When he announced that he would not run on a Sunday, it caused an uproar in Scotland. Many Scottish people were very upset with him and criticized him; some even called him a traitor. But Eric would not shift his stance. He decided rather to compete in 2 other races that would not take place on a Sunday; namely the 200 metres and the 400 metres races. Though he had not trained for these races and had little time to prepare, Eric believed God would help him.
Surprisingly, he qualified and won a bronze medal in the 200 meters race. But his country still needed a gold medal. The remaining race was the 400-meters, which no one thought he could win, because he was to compete against two runners who had already set world record times. To worsen matters, on the day of the race, Eric was assigned to the worst lane.
Though the situation looked discouraging, just before the race, a young Christian handed Eric a note, on which was written “1 Samuel 2:30, …’Those who honor Me I will honor.’” Eric drew strength from this scripture, knowing that as he had honored God, God would in turn honor him. When the race started, Eric gave it his best shot. When he rounded the turn on the track, where all the runners usually come together, he expected to see the world record holders ahead of him. But he was surprised to find he was there alone. The two world record holders were behind him. Eric crossed the finish line first, setting a new world record and winning the gold medal! His country was jubilant. When Eric returned back to Scotland, he received a hero’s welcome. The newspapers, which had criticized him earlier, were now applauding him.

The fear of the Lord is a deep seated reverence for God that causes you to want to please Him at all costs.
Living such a life that seeks to honor God, may sometimes come with a price. People may criticize you and say things against you, just as Eric was criticized and jeered at by his countrymen.
In the story of Joseph, he was thrown into prison for his decision to reverence God by not committing adultery. But in the end, we also saw how God honored Joseph by giving him the highest ranking position in Egypt.
When we decide to do what is right in honor of God, we may become unpopular. People may term us ‘too spiritual’ or even ‘fanatical’. But no matter what anyone may think, we have to decide to always give God first place.
When Daniel purposed in His heart to follow God, he faced consequences. When he decided to pray to God despite the king’s commandment he was thrown into the Lions’ den. But God delivered him from all his troubles and caused him to be promoted as the ruler over the province of Babylon.
When we love God and seek to always honor Him, God ensures our deliverance from troubles. Though initially, it may not be easy going against the tide, as we seek to do what is right, in the end God rewards us for honoring Him. When others are exalting sin and promoting unrighteousness, it may not be easy to decide to live a life of purity and holiness. When others are compromising and dining at the tables of Babylon, it may not be easy to purpose not to defile yourself with the king’s meat. But whatever we may suffer for the sake of Christ, God says He will give us double for all our troubles.

Isaiah 61:7 says ” Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs. ”

You can never lose when you make the decision to reverence God. For Eric Liddell, though it looked initially like he was going to lose by honoring God, we also saw how in the end, God lifted him and caused him to be celebrated. In the same way, as you decide today to always honor God in all you do, God will surely see to it that you are rewarded and celebrated in return.

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to reverence and honor You in every aspect of my life. By Your grace, I shall continually conduct my affairs in a manner that will only bring glory to Your Name in Jesus Name.
QUOTE
You are too loaded on the inside, to ever consider failing in life. WORDBITE 222