Dig Deep into God

“‘But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.’”Jeremiah 17:7-8 NIV

In a story titled “Runner returns to epic British ultra to celebrate 50th birthday – and WINS the race” published by RUN247 yesterday, it was reported that Marcus Scotney won the 400km Cape Wrath Ultra in a time of 42:55:05, just over two hours in front of Jon Shield and Lewis Taylor on an all-British podium. And afterwards Scotney said: “After winning the inaugural edition of the Cape Wrath Ultra in 2016, I had always wanted to return and experience the incredible route once more. It’s a truly spectacular trail; you quickly run out of superlatives trying to describe how breathtaking the course is each and every day. “This year, however, I wasn’t sure how my now 50-year-old body would cope with eight consecutive days of demanding running. “The competition this year was fierce and relentless. I was pushed all the way by Jon and Lewis. Their presence kept me sharp, even on the tougher days, particularly day seven, when I had to dig deep to keep going. Crossing the finish line was a deeply emotional moment.”

And, you know, if “dig deep” is defined as having to use all of one’s resources or strength to keep going through a difficult time, you and I would do well to remember that, like in this demanding race, we will all encounter tough times in life. It’s not a matter of if, but when. Which is the very reason that we must trust in the Lord with all our hearts. You see, the person who seeks God above all else and chooses to dig deep into the Word each and every day “will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” In other words, the more a person has dug deep in advance of suffering, the more they will have of God’s provision deep in their soul (water) when that suffering comes. Which means they can not only rise to meet any test, trial, or series of troubles but will thrive as they go through it. 

So, knowing that our enemy, the devil, is fierce and relentless in his pursuit to cause us to give up on God and bow out of the race, dig deep before the challenges come my friend… and they WILL come. Plant your roots, heart and mind deep into the promises of God now so you won’t be moved, shaken, or unable to cope. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that the person whose roots are firmly planted in You has no need to worry over the attacks of the enemy or any trial or storm that might come their way. Help us to dig deep every day Lord by training in the Word that we might bear fruit at all times and in all circumstances. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!