Over the past few weeks, I have had the privilege of watching a lot of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. And as I was reading the above mentioned passage, I could not help but think about the comparison of the Olympic medals and the imagery of God's provision to us.
Each athlete at the Olympics works diligently to compete at this most prestigious level of competition, and years of training go into each training regimen in order that the athletes are able to perform at a level that would reap an Olympic medal. What I have found noteworthy are the facial expressions of those athletes who were expected to win a medal (even a gold medal), but were denied such privilege for not winning their respective event. As those athletes finished well behind others in the competition, their eyes told the stories of shock, dismay, and frustration, that years of hard work would not be rewarded. As the cameras zoomed in on the winners, the defeated athletes were left to collect their personal belongings and head for the locker rooms. No ceremonial pomp and celebration was bestowed, only the memory that the 2008 Olympic games were a failure and a disappointment.
When it comes to God blessing those who run the race of life, He always has the very best to offer us. His abundant love showers the gift of redemption to those who would respond to His offering of grace. This is the "gold" and "silver" to which He refers in the passage above; for in the text, God is called the "LORD, the Savior and Redeemer" (Isa. 60:16). It is His immeasurable sacrifice through His death and resurrection that brings to us the hope of His very best for all eternity. For those who would surrender to His Lordship, God will become their "everlasting light and their glory . . . . They will be (declared) righteous and will possess the land forever" (60:19,21). Whereas mankind chose to rebel against the sovereign rule of the Lord, God in turn did not reject His people forever. Rather, He offered Himself as the payment for sin so that we might be restored to the intimate relationship with Him. This is THE ultimate relationship for which we were created and to which we are to enjoy forever in eternity. And unlike the performance-based nature of the Olympics, which awards medals based upon what one does in his respective event, God's grace is unmerited and thus not based upon our performance. Grace is God's gift to those who would respond to Him in faith.
Are you willing to settle for anything less than God's "best" for you? If your answer is a resounding "No!" then the way to God's offering of grace is through your response to Him. Surrender to Him as Lord, and get connected to Him through His Word (the Bible) and through intimate fellowship with Him (prayer). You will find that He will direct your path through life in such a way that only His best lay before you. And you will never regret the choice that you have made. No one who puts his faith in the Lord will lose the race of life; by God's grace, all who submit to Him will be declared "winners."
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