Don’t Steal His Spotlight

“But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.” Deuteronomy 8:18 NIV

In a story titled “Cat joins marathon and beats 1st place runner” published yesterday, the hilarious moment a cat suddenly joined a marathon and outran the winner with an impressive advance shortly before the man made the finish line was captured. Video footage shows the feline sprinting out at the last stretch of the race seemingly out of nowhere during the final moments of the 2023 Fuling Chongqing Half Marathon, held in south-western China, on October 29. It darted out from the sidelines and onto the running track just as one of the runners was about to cross the finish line and be named winner of the 21-km-long race. Seemingly determined to steal the win, it ran ahead, 'beating' the marathoner by several seconds. Although contestant Wang Wanfu was declared winner, with a timing of one hour eight minutes and 36 seconds, it was the cat who ultimately stole the spotlight.

And you know, when it comes to stealing the spotlight, you and I would do well to “remember” to give God the glory for our wins rather than take it for ourselves. You see, God is the One who gives us all of our abilities and talents “to produce wealth” and to be successful in other endeavors as well. That means everything (what we have and who we are) comes from His hand and He should get the glory. Furthermore, our skills and talents are never to be used for selfish gain but as a means to fulfill God’s purposes and confirm His covenant with His people. 

So let us always recognize God as the ultimate provider my friend. Let us seek to remember that we can do nothing on our own so that we will remain humble and grateful, using our talents to shine the spotlight on Him rather than ourselves. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for the reminder that You have given us our talents, abilities, and skills to serve You and to bring glory to Your Name. Help us to remember this at all times that we might never steal the spotlight from You. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!