Liberty Worship Collective: RunSample

Have you ever noticed how much the Bible talks about running? It’s much more than you may think. Many who are familiar with God’s Word will remember Hebrews 12:1 or 1 Corinthians 9:24 where believers are implored to “run with endurance the race that is set before us,” and to “run in such a way as to get the prize.”

But did you know that in Psalm 119, David speaks to the Lord, saying, “I will run the way of Your commandments, for You will enlarge my heart”? 

Or that in Psalm 147, the psalmist tells of how God “sends forth His commands to the earth” and that “His word runs swiftly”? 

Or that the LORD told Habakkuk to “Record my vision and inscribe it on tablets, that the one who reads it may run”? 

The comparison of the Christian life to running is very much alive in scripture. 

So how do we “run?” If you research running, you’ll find that to become a better runner, the first step is to run more. Athletes only get stronger by repeated use of their muscles, and we only grow in strength as Christians by seeking God. 

But the process of building the physical muscle or spiritual discipline isn’t always appealing. Any runner will tell you that running is sometimes unenjoyable, and that parts of a race can be grueling, if not torturous. 

It’s the same with this race we run as Christians. Sometimes, seeking God may not mean doing something revolutionary or noticeable. Sometimes, it looks a lot like waiting. Although it won’t always gleam and glimmer, running after God always entails steadiness—having a firm foundation in the hard times as we look to Jesus.

See, the most beautiful part about this race is that Jesus has already run the hardest part for us! He ran when we could not run, giving Himself as a sacrifice and making a way to the Father. Now, we continue to run the race toward eternity, with Him as our most coveted prize. Even more, the most marvelous part is that we already have the prize: as believers, Jesus is alive within all of us, encouraging and strengthening us! 

So, as we run, we know that our prize awaits us, yet also abides within us. And we can take courage in this, “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and the perfecter of faith,” so that as we run, we “will not grow weary and lose heart.”

-Judd, Liberty University Worship Collective