July 24
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” – Proverbs 3:5,6 (NKJV).
Yesterday saw the opening of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. Millions will attend and millions more will watch the TV coverage as competitors from around the Commonwealth compete to be the best in their particular discipline, to go for gold. For some, taking part in the Games will be just as important as winning – it’s the struggle, not the triumph that counts. The Christian ‘race’ too is also about participation, the struggle is something to be endured because at the end the reward will be a golden crown, not a gold medal. Hebrews 12:1 urges, “run with patience”….”press on toward the goal” – Phillipians 3:14, and “endure to the end” – Mark 13:13.
Everyone can be a winner. There are no losers for those who commit their lives to Christ.
The track events at the Games will be held on a good, level, well prepared surface. The Christian race is a roller0coaster as we go through mountain-top experiences, down to times of despondency – up’s and down’s – but we’ve started our race. Just as the runner at the Games implicitly trusts their coach, the Christian must have faith and confidence in God’s love, support, and guidance to make it to the winning post.
Today, each of us has an invitation to sign up to the “Eternal Life” race. It will be a race of self-discovery that along the way will increase our sense of self-worth, and show us just how much we are loved and valued by God. Don’t get blasé, occasionally ask yourself “am I travelling on the right track?” “Am I still heading in the right direction?” Rely on your Coach. He won’t let you fail.
Our song for today is once again chosen by Bryn. Rest your feet, click on the picture and listen to “If I Be Lifted Up” sung by The Whites 
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Housekeeping details for you
The point of this short blog will become clear if you decide to use this reading in the way we intend it. Netherfield Seventh-day Adventist Church believes in healthy churches. You can see what that means if you head to the relevant Healthy Churches page of the website. We also want other churches to be healthy. That means you can join in our campaign to create healthy churches, with healthy people serving the people in those churches.
A healthy church is one where Jesus comes first. A healthy church is one where the people work together to put Jesus first. One thing we are doing is to join people together to spread that news. I would like you to look at our prayer partners page. This will explain how we want you to use this short devotional. Very basically we want you to find a like-minded Christian friend who you will join with to : choose to pray together every day, decide together on a way to serve other people together, to help them grow as Christians - and to invite the Holy Spirit into your life every day. This blog that you will receive every day simply gives a common spiritual purpose. If you are a newcomer and want to join the blog with this object in mind click here
