OUR DAILY BREAD : GOING FOR THE PRIZE

[cimi]

March 22
Friday


GOING FOR
THE PRIZE

READ:
1 Corinthians 9:24-27
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Everyone who
competes for the
prize...[does] it to
obtain a perishable
crown, but we for an
imperishable crown.
__1 Corinthians 9:25
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Every March, the Iditarod Trail Race is held in Alaska. Sled dogs and their drivers, called "mushers," race across a 1,049-mile route from Anchorage to Nome. The competing teams cover this great distance in anywhere from 8 to 15 days. In 2011, a record time was set by musher John Baker who covered the entire route in 8 days, 19 hours, 46 minutes, and 39 seconds. The teamwork between dogs and driver is remarkable, and those who compete are tenacious in their efforts to win. The first-place winner receives a cash prize and a new pickup truck. But after so much perseverance in extreme weather conditions, the accolades and prizes may seem insignificant and transient.

The excitement of a race was a familiar concept to the apostle Paul, but he used competition to illustrate something eternal. He wrote, "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 Cor. 9:25).

Sometimes we are tempted to place our emphasis on temporal rewards, which perish with the passing of time. The Scriptures, however, encourage us to focus on something more permanent. We honor God by seeking spiritual impact that will be rewarded in eternity. __dennis Fisher

`````````````````````Here we labor, here we pray,````````````````
````````````````````Here we wrestle night and day;````````````````
````````````````````There we lay our burdens down,````````````````
```````````````There we wear the victor's crown. __Anon.````````````
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Run the race with eternity in view.

*****************Today's Bible Reading __ 1 Corinthians 9:24-27*****************

24 Do you not know that
those who run in a race all
run, but one receives the
prize? Run in such a way
that you may obtain it.

25 And 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.

26 Therefore I run thus: not
with uncertainty. Thus I
fight: not as one who beats
the air. 27 but I discipline
my body and bring it into
subjection, lest, when I
have preached to others, I
myself should become
disqualified.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

To illustrate his unwavering resolve to preach the gospel to as
many people as possible (1 Cor. 9:18-23), Paul used two athletic
metaphors__a runner who keeps his eye on the finish line, and the
targeted and precise punches of a boxer. This pictures the passion,
focus, commitment, dedication, and hard work needed to carry out
his resolve. In 2 Timothy 4:7-8, Paul used the same two metaphors,
While athletes compete to win a prize bestowed by men, Paul
sought to win an eternal crown awarded by Jesus. Faithful believers
will receive various types of crowns as their reward (2 Tim. 4:8;
James 1:12; 1 Peter 5:4; Rev. 2:10).