February 9, 2020

February 9

Running with Jesus

Luke 8:15 "But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the

Word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience."

      Continuing to listen to Jesus teach his parable as we run this morning, He tells about the seeds that fall on good soil. He compares to someone who hears. In the Greek hear is defined properly, to hear (listen); (figuratively) to hear God's voice which prompts Him to birth faith within. 

       I wish I could say every time I approach God's Word to hear His voice I was listening, don't you! Sometimes I read a text and think where was my mind?! Oh I know where it was absorbed with all my activities and to do list. What helps me to get back to a listening ear is to first pray and then get a note pad and pen and start jotting down these things about the text:

  • Who is the author? 

  • Who is he writing to?

  • What is his message?

  • How does this apply to my life?

      At some point in your run with Jesus you have to stop depending on others to help you keep running.  This would be like you having to feed your adult child with a bottle. 

      We have to develop our listening abilities. Our listening should be with intent for God to birth our faith and change us. It's hard to change but when God's voice reaches our hearts we want to change! Our Sunday School lesson said faith seeks understanding through regular and reverent hearing of God's Word!

      So if your faith is low today what is it a sign of? You got it! You need to run to His Word! The Word builds our faith. Faith helps us trust God and then we can deal with the stresses life brings our way. 

      So how do we keep good soil! We have to work and till the soil and place ourselves in an environment to be able to learn. Good runners will practice on the type of terrain they plan to run on.

 Father, help us have ears to hear with and eyes to see so we can develop a deep faith that is able to run this race we are on. 

Let's take a ride in a boat with Jesus tomorrow and let our feet rest.

Judy Hollaway

Originally penned 2015

February 8, 2020

February 8

Running with Jesus

Luke 8: 11-15 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.

They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

     Jesus is running cross country as we travel this trek and begins to use parables to get His points across. In this area he uses stories about a man who sows seeds. A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly message. 

      I like to read a passage and then read it again until it speaks to my heart. I couldn't help but stop when I read this part:  “And the seed that fell in the weeds—well, these are the ones who hear, but then the seed is crowded out and nothing comes of it as they go about their lives worrying about tomorrow, making money, and having fun.  Yelp, the light bulb came on! Here we are Miss America running down the aisle, waving to the crowd with her crown on, and her ruby red slippers! The weeds have grown around her and choked out the words of God! 

     Jesus told His disciples that Isaiah had prophesied "Their eyes are open but don’t see a thing," Their ears are open but don’t hear a thing. The word of God is being sown but choked out! We say not us, but listen again: worrying about tomorrow, making money, and having fun! These are spiritual robbers that will hinder our run with Christ. 

     Just yesterday I was trying to keep my spiritual senses on high alert because I was working on some important things for the retreat, the TV had been left on and all of a sudden I realized it was interfering with my meditation. I ran to turn it off. I like TV as much as any but we need to practice turning it off. Most of us have 2-4 TV sets in our homes. We waste a lot of time not listening to God and it is a tool Satan is using to choke out Jesus and His voice. This is just one example and this list could be a mile long.

     Let's start looking for weeds that have grown in our path that is slowing our run down and hindering our ability to run and keep up with Christ. 

Father we want to hear from You. Please help me keep the weeds that chokeYou out! Help me turn off the TV and get in a position to hear from You!

Tomorrow: Running on good ground!

Judy Hollaway

Originally penned 2015

February 7, 2020

February 7

Running with Jesus

Luke 7:43-47   Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.

      Neglecting Jesus! This Pharisee invited Jesus to his home but neglected to do the customary acts of kindness shown to a visitor in their homes. There enters a woman, considered an outcast that a Pharisee wouldn't allow to touch them, with tears washes his dung covered feet. She proceeds to dry them with her hair and pours expensive cologne on them! Why?  This woman got it and knew what forgiveness was like. She was in desperate need for her soul; she was in turmoil and anguish. She recognizes Jesus was what she needed and crossed custom standards to reach Him. 

      Let's think about neglecting Jesus. How about you, stop right now and think about this past week. Have you been spending time with your guest, Jesus? He is there in the living room of your heart just waiting on you to come and go running with Him. What is causing you to not go? Let's think! I need to go shopping, I'll do the laundry then I'll stop, oh I need to call my friend, ok my favorite show is on, let me check my Facebook for the 25th time today! Okay for my guys a little golfing, hunting or fishing!  You get the picture neglecting Jesus has dire consequences. We spend so much time, energy and money on all the things that will not help our souls and give no lasting satisfaction! 

       Our souls are screaming, weeping and seeking to find some sort of rest from all the struggles of life! We must stop and focus on Jesus to find the key to a happy life! If we choose as the religious Pharisees not to see ourselves as sinners in need of Jesus, we will never find life! They were religious men. They did all the outward "appearances". Wore the robes, talked the talk but never came to the walk! They neglected all the truths they heard because they would have had to deal with the fact they were a sinner. This woman new the pitiful state she was in, saw them in the light of pure Holy Jesus, dropped and humbled herself to get to kneel at His feet. Have you ever dropped at His feet! Her actions revealed her humility and her acts of services was the evidence she had enrolled in the run with Jesus!

      If you say you know Jesus but never do acts of service I would say you better make sure you have not neglected to recognize who He is and who you are! Watch being religious and make sure you are regenerated! A regenerated runner will be there for Jesus and run to help others. 

  So are you neglecting or running?

Oh Father, we are forever grateful for forgiving us. Here we are today lifting Your name in praise and ready for our assignment for the day. Show us ways to wash people's feet as we run around with today. Help us not neglect You and Your work. You are our Stabilizer and Energizer. Let us show others, as this woman did, what You have done for us as we run with You today! We want others to see You in us! 

What's choking the word out of your life? Be back tomorrow!

Judy Hollaway

Originally penned 2015

February 6, 2020

February 6

Running with Jesus

Luke 7:20 When the men were come unto him, they said, John the Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?

     Does doubt ever enter your thoughts? Do you feel like God has abandoned you? If you live long enough and life brings difficult circumstances our emotions can cause us to doubt God.

     At this time John was in prison and we know he would be beheaded before long. I think we think of being in prison like in America today, with modern conveniences. Not then they were filthy, dark, dungeons and the Christians were often beaten and chained. So we can see where doubts could affect John. Life can take us on a trek to produce doubts. So how do we handle our doubts?

     John needed a word from Jesus to help him with his doubts. (Andrew Womack ) says " Many of us have Bibles lying around gathering dust. Some of us even carry one. But when we're struggling with unbelief, we don't want a scripture; we want something tangible, something emotional that we can feel. We would rather have Jesus just put His arm around us and say something about how everything will be all right. That would make us feel better. But overcoming doubt isn't just about feeling better; it's about getting back into faith that only comes from the Word of God (Rom. 10:17)."

     If John the Baptist, who leaped in the womb and was filled with the Spirit and prepared the way for Christ, can have doubt certainly we can.

     Get into and stay in God's Word. Faith comes by hearing God’s Word. That is why we have to run side by side with Christ so we can hear His voice. Doubt is an arrow from Satan to hinder your run! 

     Remember turn up the voice of God! I do this with my radio. Our old enemy shouts in my ear and down I go! I turn on my radio or read my Bible and dig deep into the Word and his voice is gone. This takes practice and discipline. So runners have to practice daily to stay fit!

Neglecting Jesus, in the morning! Grab your coffee and Bible and sit a spell!

Judy Hollaway

Originally penned 2015

February 5, 2020

February 5

Running with Jesus

Luke 7:15 And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.

      Good news travels fast! Jesus met up with a woman whose son had passed away, her only son which is very significant to their day because she was a widow. He was probably the source of her livelihood. The text says Jesus had compassion on her and told her not to weep. He touched the young man and told him to rise. Then fear came on the crowd and they began to glorify God. 

      Running with Jesus can be an awesome journey. Can you imagine what that day would have been like!  Can you imagine the look on the faces of the ones carrying this young man? They would wrap the body and carry it openly on a flat as they moved to the burial site. They would not touch the body because they would be unclean. Look how many lives were touched by this circumstance! It is still touching our lives today. Jesus is teaching and revealing Himself to the world that He is truly God in the flesh! He has power over life and death. They responded that Jesus was a prophet, and that God had visited His people; they looked back when Elijah raised a dead boy in the Old Testament.  Jesus was not yet recognized as the Messiah. 

     Who is Jesus to you, a good man, a prophet or your Messiah or Savior? It makes a difference! 

      In the story we see the power He has over life and death! Death is a reality for everyone born! Only those who are touched by Jesus as Savior will be raised from the dead to see eternal life and live in heaven. All the others who are not touched by Jesus will go into outer darkness separated from God and cast into the lake of fire created for Satan his demons. 

      So have you met up with Jesus and allowed Him to touch you? 

Father, Jesus is more than a prophet He is our Savior. Thank You for the day You touched and brought new life to my dying soul. I am forever grateful! 

     Take a moment reflect upon the day He touched you! Carry that with you all day! It will make for a happier day! If you don't have a Savior this could be that day!  Bow your knees and cry out for that touch! Let your race begin!

When running with Jesus the difficult days can cause you to doubt!

 Meet me In the morning!

Judy Hollaway

Originally penned 2015