Be alert!

All seemed to be going well when suddenly one of the riders in the Tour de France, who had been travelling straight, found himself in the ditch on the right hand side of the road. The commentator immediately highlighted the danger of not being alert. “They can’t relax” he said. It would seem that someone behind the rider had inadvertently touched his wheel by accident (interestingly, the majority of these accidents take place at the back of the pack, so riders are often encouraged to position themselves near the front of the race as it works in their favour). Shortly after that another rider fell, but was helped up and got back into the race. Again the reporter emphasised the importance of staying alert!

Life can be like that. One minute everything seems fine but then we are blind-sided by some unexpected event. A loved one in our life may suddenly leave, we may learn not so good news about health issues, or we lose our job. The unexpected event may be the consequences of our own, or someone else’s, ungodly choices and behaviour. Thankfully, when these things happen, others sometimes come alongside us and offer help to get us back into the race. The good news is a crash DOES NOT have to alter your destiny!

The Scripture reveals in 2 Samuel 11:1 that ‘In the Spring when kings go out to war….. David remained in Jerusalem’. He stayed at home – that would appear to have been his first mistake. Had he have been at the front with his men his life would have taken quite a different route. But now his guard was down and in one momentary lapse of judgement, one look in the wrong direction caused him to embark upon a series of events which had devastating consequences and almost cost him everything. A lustful look led to adultery, which in turn led to the death of Uriah the Hittite, Bathsheba’s husband. But Nathan the prophet came with a timely word of rebuke from the Lord to which David responded in utter repentance and humility. Today, David is remembered as a ‘man after God’s own heart’ (Acts 13:22). With God there is always hope and restoration. He never writes us off.

Like the riders who found themselves hit by obstacles, but then fought to get back into the race, all the time nursing a victory in their hearts, so we too have to fight the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12). If we are not alert we give someone else the opportunity to attack and snatch the coveted prize. In Revelation 3:11 Jesus warns us ‘Behold I come quickly, hold fast that thou hast, that no man take thy crown’. Let us be wise enough to be alert, whilst at the same time guarding that which the King of kings has entrusted us with. The enemy is on the prowl trying to knock us out of the race. But if we submit ourselves to the Lord and resist the devil he will flee from us (James 4:7). It’s surprising how many things can happen in a race!

Let us guard jealously our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and allow nothing to interfere with it. The ultimate responsibility of staying alert rests with ourselves.

There was a new beginning for David, and there’s one for you.

Prayer: Dear Lord, please help us to stay alert in our journey with You and we repent of our inattention at crucial times in our lives. We thank You that You are a restoring God and that You are only a prayer away. Amen.