Striving for the Prize - Lesson 7 - ... not to the Swift

We tried so hard to make things better for our kids that we made them worse. For my grandchildren, I'd like better. I'd really like for them to know about hand me down clothes and homemade ice cream and leftover meat loaf sandwiches, I really would.

I hope you learn humility by being humiliated, and that you learn honesty by being cheated. I hope you learn to make your own bed and mow the lawn and wash the car. And I really hope nobody gives you a brand new car when you are sixteen.

It will be good if at least one time you can see puppies born and your old dog put to sleep.
I hope you get a black eye fighting for something you believe in. I hope you have to share a bedroom with your younger brother. And it's all right if you have to draw a line down the middle of the room, but when he wants to crawl under the covers with you because he's scared, I hope you let him.

When you want to see a movie and your little brother wants to tag along, I hope you'll let him.
I hope you have to walk uphill to school with your friends and that you live in a town where you can do it safely.

On rainy days when you have to catch a ride, I hope you don't ask your driver to drop you two blocks away so you won't be seen riding with someone as uncool as your Mom.

If you want a slingshot, I hope your Dad teaches you how to make one instead of buying one.
I hope you learn to dig in the dirt and read books. When you learn to use computers,
I hope you also learn to add and subtract in your head.

I hope you get teased by your friends when you have your first crush on a girl, and when you talk back to your mother that you learn what ivory soap tastes like. May you skin your knee climbing a mountain, burn your hand on a stove and stick your tongue on a frozen flagpole.

I don't care if you try a beer once, but I hope you don't like it. And if a friend offers you dope or a joint, I hope you realize he is not your friend. I sure hope you make time to sit on a porch with your Grandpa and go fishing with your Uncle.

May you feel sorrow at a funeral and joy during the holidays. I hope your mother punishes you
when you throw a baseball through your neighbor's window and that she hugs you and kisses you at Christmas time when you give her a plaster mold of your hand.

These things I wish for you - tough times and disappointment, hard work and happiness. To me, it's the only way to appreciate life.

Written with a pen. Sealed with a kiss. I'm here for you. And if I die before you do, I'll go to heaven and wait for you.

signed, Paul Harvey

Opening thoughts on what we are passing onto the next generation …





1Corinthians 9:24-27, ‘Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.’

We have talked about hindrances, obstacles and other dilemmas that we make excuses for.
The Lord does not accept our excuses,
And I tell you that those who hear them do not accept them.
Are we teaching the next generation to do the same.
Are we handing them our set of crutches.

Ecclesiastes 9:11, ‘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.’

We all have the same amount of hours in a given day.
We have the same scriptures
The same laws of gravity, etc.

What does this verse say to us?






Ecclesiastes 9:12, ‘For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.’

Next week will be September,
Two weeks will be September 11th,
Four years since the attack on America.

What are we waiting for?





Jeremiah 9:23, ‘Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:’

We may not totally glory in our good but we want recognition.
What does this scripture say to that?





Jeremiah 9:24, ‘But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.’

He wants to reward us,
Why can’t we wait for His rewards?





Jeremiah 9:25, ‘Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will punish all them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised;’

Sometimes those who oppose us occupy too much of our time,
After they have left us and are fast asleep and not thinking of us,
We are up tossing and turning,
Mulling over what we should have said or done,
And possibly rehearsing what we are going to say or do
Next time we see them.

Can you help us here?





Matthew 5:43-48 ‘Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.’

‘… rain on the just and on the unjust…’





Malachi 3:5, ‘And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.’

The Lord however is swift,
Your thoughts …





Amos 2:14, ‘Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself:’

I believe we have to stop focusing so much attention on our strengths and our talents,
Even on our mental abilities or knowledge of scripture.
We need to remember who gave those positive attributes to us
And allows them to be maintained.

Your thoughts …





Amos 2:15, ‘Neither shall he stand that handleth the bow; and he that is swift of foot shall not deliver himself: neither shall he that rideth the horse deliver himself.’

Any additional comments?





Amos 2:16, ‘And he that is courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day, saith the LORD.’

Let’s not worry about others,
Whether they are enemies or friends.
Give them to the Lord.

Let’s worry about giving thanks to the Lord for the strengths He has given us.
Let’s apologize for misusing those strengths.
Let’s tell Him we are sorry for not growing, as we need to.
For not growing in areas where clear-cut instruction is given.

Let’s also not accept excuses from others,
Let’s encourage them with scripture and as we do,
Let’s be honest enough to look at ourselves
To make sure we do not suffer from the same character flaw
As the Lord may have put that person in front of us
So we can see what we look like to others.

next chapter

back to index