October 7, 2024 8:00 pm
When people think about the 100-meter dash, current world-record holder Usain Bolt might come to mind. But we can’t forget about Julia “Hurricane” Hawkins. In 2021, Julia crossed the finish line before all other runners to win the 100-meter dash in the Louisiana Senior Games. Her time was a bit slower than Bolt’s 9.58 seconds—just over sixty seconds. But she was also 105 years old!
There’s a lot to like about a woman who’s still running sprints at her age. And there’s a lot to like about believers in Jesus who never stop running the race with Him as their goal (Hebrews 12:1-2). The psalmist says this about the faithful in the later stages of life: “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, . . . they will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green” (92:12–14).
Older believers who follow this kind of standard can find further instruction in Titus. Seasoned men are to be “sound in faith, in love and in endurance” (2:2), and senior women are “to teach what is good” (v. 3).
There’s no call for older believers to stop running the race. Maybe not the way Julia does on the track, but in ways that honor God as He provides the strength they need. Let’s all run the race to serve Him and others well.
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Hi, welcome to today's encouragement from your friends at Our Daily Bread. The reading for today titled Running for Jesus was written by Dave Brannon. When people think about the 100-meter dash, current world record holder Usain Bolt might come to mind, but we can't forget about Julia Hurricane Hawkins. In 2021, Julia crossed the finish line before all other runners to win the 100-meter dash in the Louisiana Senior Games. Her time was a bit slower than Bolt's 9.58 seconds, just over 60 seconds. But she was also 105 years old.
There's a lot to like about a woman who's still running sprints at her age. And there's a lot to like about believers in Jesus who never stop running the race with Him as their goal. The psalmist says this about the faithful in the later stages of life. The righteous will flourish like a palm tree. They will still bear fruit in old age.
They will stay fresh and green. Older believers who follow this kind of standard can find further instruction in the Apostle Paul's letter to Titus. Seasoned men are to be sound in faith, in love, and in endurance. And senior women are to teach what is good. There is no call for older believers to stop running the race. Maybe not the way Julia does on the track, but in ways that honor God as He provides the strength they need.
Let's all run the race to serve Him and others well. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Titus chapter 2 verses 1 through 5. You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love, and in endurance. Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good.
Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands so that no one will malign the Word of God. Let's pray. Dear Jesus, thank You for every day that You give us, and no matter our age would You help us to be faithful to the finish line and to strive to run the race for Your honor. Thank You, Lord. It's in Jesus' name that we pray and run this race. Amen. Thanks for listening today. My name is Wes Ward, and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.
Whisper: medium.en / 2024-10-07 21:00:34 / 2024-10-07 21:02:01 / 1
