‘The Bristol half marathon (22km) took place alongside the Bristol 10k in the Great Bristol Run on Sunday’.[1] A runner, Omer was his name, had originally signed up to run the 10k but ended up accidentally running - and winning - the half marathon. He did so in just 63 minutes.
I feel a degree of sympathy for poor Omer, who was disqualified. He had won the race by a clear four seconds but, sadly, it was the wrong race. He was clearly an elite athlete, said one of the organisers, and ‘We salute his performance’, but it was all to no avail. Somewhere, he had not followed the correct route and after an investigation he was eliminated.
A simple error resulted in a significant loss. The possibility of victory and glory had been missed and there was no going back. If only . . .
How are you getting on in the race of life? As you make your way along the course, are you on the right route? Many people think they have got it all sorted – they are heading for victory and glory. They are living a ‘good life’. They are regular church goers and sincerely religious people. They are ‘doing the best they can’. In the race of life, they have passed so many that they feel are not as good as they are – they are the elite athletes! However, the Bible cautions all of us, ‘There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death’.[2] What a tragedy it would be if you got to the end of the race of life only to discover that you were disqualified – you had not followed the right way!
How can I know I am on the right route? Can I ever be sure? The Bible says I can. ‘Jesus said . . . “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me”’.[3] The outcome of the race of life does not depend upon me or my efforts. It all depends on Jesus Christ and what He did some 2000 years ago at a place called Calvary (outside Jerusalem in Israel). When He died there, God judged Him for my sin (my failures and mistakes). If I trust in Him and rely upon what He has done, I can avoid disqualification and be assured of heaven. Let us be clear, ‘No one’ comes to the Father or heaven unless they believe in Jesus Christ as their Saviour and make Him Lord of their lives.
What route are you taking? What are you relying upon in the race for glory?
[1] Found here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-58623893. [2] Proverbs 14 verse 12 NKJV. [3] John 14 verse 6.