John Fischer The Catch

So don’t sit around on your hands! No more dragging your feet! Clear the path for long-distance runners so no one will trip and fall, so no one will step in a hole and sprain an ankle. Help each other out. And run for it! Hebrews 12:12-13 MSG

Lest you think this is our own manipulation of the word of God in order to wake everyone up, it’s not. It’s from Eugene Peterson’s translation of the Bible known as The Message, and what he is trying to capture here, in modern vernacular, is not his own interpretation, but the essence of what is in the original manuscripts. These verses harken back to the opening statement of Hebrews 11 which urges us to jettison any excess baggage and run with perseverance the race that is before us. (That would be the race of our lives.)

Continue reading →

What have I ever done to deserve even one

Of the pleasures I’ve known?

What did I ever do that was worth loving You

For the kindness You’ve shown?

              from the song “Why Me, Lord?” by Kris Kristofferson

Jesus calls us to run to Him. He tells us to come, and come now! This is not just intellectual assent to Christ as the Son of God or even accepting Him as our savior; it is about running to Jesus and throwing ourselves entirely at His mercy. This is realizing that no good thing dwells in us. We are unworthy to even be in His presence. Yet He calls us to Himself, and because of His death on the cross on our behalf, wonder of all wonders, He accepts us. When you realize His forgiveness, you come running. You want to get there before He changes His mind. (He won’t, but that’s how it feels!) Continue reading →

“Run to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

Yes, I know that it actually says “Come to me,” but I looked up the derivation of the word “come” and found it is the Greek word, “deute” which is an exclamatory statement that translates to, “Come! Come now!” That sounds a lot like “run” to me. It is an active, passionate word. You run to the Lord when you realize He is your only hope. You run to the Lord when you realize He wants a personal relationship with you. You run to the Lord when you are being threatened on all sides by enemies. You run to the Lord when no one notices you — you feel invisible — but He sees everything. He’s always there for you. You run to the Lord when you know He is waiting for you with open arms. No dillydallying.

Continue reading →