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Everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.

1 Corinthians 9:25

Athletes are willing to push themselves harder and longer and farther than anyone else. They striveto bring their bodies and minds completely under control so that theyexcel and receive a prize. Others go home to relax, but athletescontinue to train. While most people protect themselves from any formof discomfort, athletes push themselves to the limits of theirendurance. While some remain satisfied with mediocre performance,athletes pay any price for excellence. 

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Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Return to Me,” says theLord of hosts, “and I will return to you.”

Zechariah 1:3

God places much of the burden of what we will become on our response to Him. Ifwe have drifted from God, His call is to return to Him. God promisesthat if we will return, He will immediately renew His relationshipwith us. James 4:8 promises that if we draw near to God, He will drawnear to us. Matthew 7:7 guarantees that if we seek Christ, we willfind Him. Much of the Christian life rests upon our response and our desire to experience God to the fullest. 

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But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.

Acts 16:25

Your joy as a Christian should not depend on your circumstances.Joy comes from God, and therefore it cannot be affected by what isoutside of you. Don’t be fooled into letting the actions of othersdetermine your joy. True joy comes from knowing that God Himself liveswithin you and has fellowship with you, regardless of yourenvironment. Real joy lies in the knowledge that holy God hascompletely forgiven you of every sin, and even now, He has a homeprepared in heaven where you can spend eternity with Him (John 14:3).The circumstances of your life cannot change these truths! 

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What more could have been done to My vineyard that I have not done in it? Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes, Did it bring forth wild grapes?

Isaiah 5:4

The prophet Isaiah told the story of a man with a vineyard on a fertile hill. The man cultivated the ground and removed the stones sothat nothing would hinder the vines’ growth. He planted only the bestquality vines. He built a tower in the middle of the vineyard so hecould watch for wild animals and intruders. He constructed a wine vatso that he would be ready for the ripe grapes. Then he waited. Ratherthan producing good grapes, however, the vineyard produced worthlessones. The story illustrates the relationship between God and Hispeople. 

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Therefore I also said, “I will not drive them out before you; but they shall be thorns in your side, and their gods shall be a snare to you.”

Judges 2:3

God gave the Israelites specific instructions: Drive the Canaanites out of every corner of the land,and obliterate any vestige of their abominable idol worship. Thisassignment was challenging! Their enemies had formidable chariots. TheCanaanites had seemingly impregnable fortresses that were dangerous and difficult to overcome. The Israelites failed to drive all theCanaanites from the land. Much about the Canaanite lifestyle andreligion appealed to the Israelites’ sinful nature. Rather than destroying them and their idolatry, Israel compromised. 

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