The Law Keeps us Safe

“The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.” Psalm 19:7 NIV

In an interesting article posted by Runner’s World yesterday, it was reported that orthopaedic surgeon Alister Hart, who ran his first marathon at the age of 42 and hobbled around for days afterwards, wanted to find out what running long distances did to the body. And so he began the largest and most detailed study of the knees of middle-aged marathon runners to date. He did MRI scans of 164 knees belonging to 82 runners, all in their forties, all first-time marathon runners with no known injuries. He wasn’t sure what he would find. ‘There was a risk we could have killed off running,’ he says, smiling. The results surprised him. The runners were scanned before and after a four-month training plan that culminated in the London Marathon. ‘It looks like running, even up to marathon level, is actually good for the bones. It strengthens them. And this, in turn, is good for the cartilage; we really didn’t expect that at all.’… 

And you know, when it comes to detailed studies, the Bible is clear that “The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul” and “the statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.” That means that, contrary to the popular belief that God gave us laws to limit our fun, following the law of the Lord keeps us safe from the consequences of sin, which fills our lives with joy, pleasure, and contentment far beyond what we could ever have living as the world does. Which is the very reason the psalmist went on to say that “The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey than honey from the honeycomb.” 

So choose to live within the boundaries God has set my friend, knowing they are good for all those that do. Sin may look innocent but what it does to the body physically, spiritually, emotionally, and mentally is devastating to a person’s health.  

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us laws to follow to keep us safe. Help us to understand that they’re designed to allow us to have the most fun possible within boundaries that are for our good. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!