Isaiah 41:10 "Fear
not, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will
strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
Many runners will tell you if you ask them, what they repeat as
their mantra when they run long distances to help them along. Sometimes I
repeat, "Forward. Upward. Forward. Upward.". The visualization of
those two things propels me well, forward and upward. But more often
than not, I recite Bible passages. These passages don't necessarily have
anything to do with running, but are good to ponder and focus on instead of the
discomfort of running for hours. A common passage I like to recite
is Isaiah 41:10. I have always been motivated by it and like to
repeat it a few times and really dwell on what this passage means.
Often in our lives we are fearful of things to come or things that
are happening. We are dismayed when we think about the predicaments of
our lives. But God tells us not to fear! He is with us. We aren't alone
in our trials. He is handling this for us. Don't dismay. Be
hopeful. He is our God. He strengthens us and helps us through all
difficulties in our lives. He holds us up with his righteous right
hand. We are carried in the palm of his amazing hand.
When I'm running I visualize him literally holding me in his
hand. I picture him strengthening me and running that distance with
me. It is a metaphor for my life. He doesn't just carry me on my
runs, he carries me through my entire life- parenting my children, interacting
with my community, working on my relationship with my husband, caring for and
loving my parents and friends. He is with me and I need not fear in any
circumstance. He is my God.
-written by Kristen Kaspar
May we learn to run. Not in fear but fully trusting that the Lord is with us, providing strength and holding us up with his hand.
