THE DIVINE SPEED AND ACCELERATION
THE DIVINE SPEED AND ACCELERATION
Joh 20:1-8 KJV 1 The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. 2 Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him. 3 Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. 4 So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. 5 And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. 6 Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, 7 And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. 8 Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed.
Many times in life competition, struggling and exertion is done.In fact Paul describes our journey in many terms among is the fact that we are in a race.
Heb 12:1 KJV Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
1Co 9:24 KJV Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
But don’t try to intentionally compete with another person, to outdo them, the greatest competition is with myself and yourself to be a better version of you and a better improved version.
Life is too short. Moses made a prayer that God will satisfy us very early in Psalm 90
Psa 90:14 KJV O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
How are we to run the race of life?
There are four ways by which we can win the marathon of life.
1 By strength: In the text that we read in Jn 20: 4-7, John was the one referred to as the other disciple. He was the author. The main reason why he outran Peter was because he was younger, and lighter of foot. He ran ahead, more quickly than Peter because he had possibly youthful strength. He deployed his youthful ability here. May the Lord increase your strength in Jesus name. Overtaking is allowed.
If you remember their story very well, they were all fishermen and had this mild competition in their trade. They were called about the same time and James and John had desired to be the greatest in the kingdom.
So what made John repeat this statement that he came first was probably the advantage. The repetition of this, in connection with his not having gone in till after Peter, seems to show that at the moment of penning these words the advantage which each of these loving disciples had of the other was present to his mind.
2. By wisdom:
2Sa 18:19-23 KJV 19 Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, Let me now run, and bear the king tidings, how that the LORD hath avenged him of his enemies. 20 And Joab said unto him, Thou shalt not bear tidings this day, but thou shalt bear tidings another day: but this day thou shalt bear no tidings, because the king’s son is dead. 21 Then said Joab to Cushi, Go tell the king what thou hast seen. And Cushi bowed himself unto Joab, and ran. 22 Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet again to Joab, But howsoever, let me, I pray thee, also run after Cushi. And Joab said, Wherefore wilt thou run, my son, seeing that thou hast no tidings ready? 23 But howsoever, said he, let me run. And he said unto him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and overran Cushi.
After the defeat of Absalom, Ahimaaz wanted to go and give the news to David but Joab the captain would not let him go. Why? Maybe he considered him not fit. He however asked another person called Cushi to go for the same thing. Aihimaaz persisted in going, so Joab eventually caved in and asked him to go. This was a long time when Cushi had gone.
But the Bible says the Ahimaaz that started much later outran Cushi that had gone ahead. How? He followed the plain unlike Cushi that was going through mountains and valleys.
Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and overran Cushi; who ran by the way of the mountains; which though the shorter way, that through the plain was easiest, and soonest run, though the longest The nearest way, though farthest about.
May God show you the way effortlessly in Jesus name. What they struggle to get this year may you receive effortlessly.
3. By divine empowerment:
1Ki 18:46 KJV And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
Ahab the king had the best of horses and had rode far ahead of Elijah. But the Bible says the hand of God came on Elijah. The hand of God in the Old Testament usually talks of the Spirit of God. He is a Spirit of might and Elijah arrived earlier ahead of the man with horses.
The hand of the Lord, or, as the Targum says, the spirit of strength, came upon Elijah, and he girded up his loins, that is, tucked up his long garments in his girdle, and ran; and notwithstanding the advantage the king had by means of his chariot, the prophet reached Jezreel before him.
Some trust in horses but we will trust in God. May the hand of God rest upon you this year in Jesus name. The best of them will not be able to come close to you. Desire the hand of God.
4. By Divine motion
Joh 6:21 KJV Then they willingly received him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went.
The disciples had been on the sea for close to nine hours on a journey of seven miles and when the Lord came to meet them, he was walking on the sea. They cried out because they thought he was a spirit. Peter also walked on the water to meet him. But the Bible says when Jesus and Peter entered into the boat, the ship was catapulted to the place they were going originally. This was divine motion. This happened to Philip in Act 8:39
Act 8:39 KJV And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.
Where the disciples had been struggling to get to, when Jesus entered into their boat, there were no more limitations, hindrances and barriers.
The sea and the winds knew how not only to spare the vessel, but to carry it instantaneously to the place where they wished to be. But how often have you and I been rowing about, five-and-twenty or thirty furlongs, and we did not seem to be getting out of the storm at all; but the moment Christ has come, we have been where we wished to be. Oh, glory be to his name; there is no difficulty that you can be in, dear friends, but Christ can get you out of it in a moment, and bring you where you should be.
The evangelist seems to speak of their sudden arrival there as extraordinary and miraculous
How do we receive divine motion and speed?
1. Receive Jesus first into your life. Be born again
2. When you become born again, receive Him into your boat.
3. Seek wisdom. Wisdom is the principal thing. Cushi was struggling round the bush, mountain, valley whereas someone that knows the way passes through the plain. James 1:5
Ecc 9:11 KJV I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
4. Desire the ability of the Holy Spirit.
Zec 4:6 KJV Then he answered and spoke unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
There are things that can’t be accomplished with human strength.
Luk 1:35 KJV And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
Isa 40:28-31 KJV 28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. 29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: 31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
This year, the Lord will equip you above your competitors, you shall be above only, you shall be the head and not the tail.