Let’s just say, I’m a runner. Most of these are true for me…

You roll your eyes when people talk about low carb diets.

You say you’re going out for a short run and come back two hours later.

You think high 40s/low 50s and overcast sounds like perfect weather.

You get up earlier on weekends than you do during the work week.

You tell your wife you want a marathon entry as a birthday present.

When someone asks you how far you are planning to run, you say “I’m ONLY doing 10 today.

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I have always considered God to be my refuge or shelter. A place to run in times of trouble.

Pr. 18:10 - The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run in and are safe.

He has been my hiding place, my shelter, and my safe haven during some horrible times. And it is true…He is there for us when we need Him. He will shelter and protect us when we are in need. But he wants so much more for us.

Psalms 91 - He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him will I trust.

The Father doesn’t want us running to him in times of need . . . that implies that at other times we are not with him or near him. God wants us to be with him at all times, he want us to dwell with him.

Dwell - to live or stay as a permanent resident; reside.
Abide - to remain; continue; stay: to have one’s abode; dwell; reside
Abiding implies a staying or tarrying…to remain.

To dwell is to take up residence.
The house where my mail is delivered is not just someplace I run to when a bad storm hits, although that is where I prefer to be at those times and if caught out in a storm I probably would make haste to get there. My house is my residence, my dwelling. It is where I find more than just shelter from the outside world, it is where I rest, relax, recharge; it is where I find things to satisfy my hunger and my thirst (provided I have been to the grocery store recently!); it is where I clean up, shower, shave, wash off the grime and the smell. It is where I dress; it is where I keep my stuff, all of my worldly possessions, my valuables.
It is my home.

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Have you ever taken the time to notice the beautiful detail that the Bible gives on creation? Just by researching these few chapters, you see God’s character and what he was thinking when He created everything. You see His devotion, His attention to detail, His provision, and you also see His ability to rest.

Did you know that not resting falls short of God’s glory? “What?! No it doesn’t!” Actually, it does. You see, when God created the world, He was setting forth an example of the work ethic we were to follow. He worked for six days, but He rested on the seventh. In Leviticus, the Israelites were COMMANDED to work six days and observe one day of rest, and that command is never refuted in the New Testament. So if God commanded us to rest, and we don’t, then we are rebelling against God’s command. That rebellion is the very essense of sin. Granted, every now and then things will happen that you’ll have to take care of, but everyone can agree that their lives usually don’t require this type of work. Even doctors and Nurses, who are on call 24/7 in case of emergencies, can usually get one day of rest.

“But you don’t understand! My business can’t take me being gone for a day! Everything would go nuts!” Ok, Madonna, First of all you’re not that important. And Secondly, if your business can’t survive with you being gone for one day, then how do you expect it to stand when you die or retire? And thirldy, God sort of.. you know.. Commanded it. I’m pretty sure the whole “Master of the Universe” Card trumps your “Owner of Thunder Thigh’s Anonymous” card.
“Ok, fine… then I HAVE to rest… but why is it so important?” That’s an easy question to answer. That rest completes you and actually makes you more like God. Let me prove it to you.

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I have just had my 8th flight delay in 3 days. But the funny thing is the way they do the delays, they seem to be in 75 minute increments.

They get you into the airport THEN tell you there is a delay, but the delay is only really 75 minutes. So, it is not enough time to get a car, go back through security and sit in a reasonable restaurant.

Then 25 minutes before you are suppose to board again they come and talk to you and take another 75 minutes of your life. Now you’re thinking, I could have gone to the mall, brought the wife a present. But no. I will stay here listening to the child who has obviously just been possessed with a devil or just received another installment of sugar and food coloring - the effects are similar.

The bland musak starts to soak into your soul and the recycled air gets colder.

You wait in eager anticipation. The hour approaches. Then they come. The counter people - the most powerful people in your now diminishing universe. They stroke the keys, they had out favors, they bestow….upgrades and voucher compensation and just before you are about to board…. they like members of a Transylvanian cult they suck another 75 minutes from your life.

This time you get online, spend another $9.50 for another hour or wifi because when you started this you thought paying $24 dollars for a day pass was ridiculous. You look up all the movies you could have seen and the sights you could have visited and all you have to look forward to is fighting over the scraps of greasey Pizza Hut Pizza as the people around you start to take on a Post-apocoplic feel.
You come to watch with envy the fat guy who positioned himself hours ago in front of the only power outlet in all 4 terminals.

And you wait. Your ipod has not power. Your computer hates you. You hang your head and find yourself counting carpet titles and looking for faces of famous people in the old chewing gum smears that cover the floor.

And slowly your theology starts to change. You know the Catholics are right, there IS a purgatory and it has been renamed the Colorado Springs Airport.

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Beccy and I are living a life filled with opportunity. The opportunity to raise children. The opportunity to run an international organization. The oppurtunity to run a great church. The opportunity to enjoy rich and fulfilling friendships. Opportunities to travel. Continual opportunities to expand our ministry and pioneer new endeavors. There are challenges; there have been trials, and there will be more. That’s life. But what wonderful opportunities life presents.

There are times when it can seem like others have fantastic opportunities opening up for them, but it feels like those doors stay closed for you. God doesn’t have favorites, so why should this be?

Is it luck? Is it coincidence? Maybe it’s fate? None of these!
Why is it always someone else who is in the right place at the right time? Perhaps you think they have the right connections. They know the right people. “They must have cut corners”, you say, “They’re just one of those pushy-type people.” But that describes an OPPORTUNIST. And OPPORTUNISM will never produce GODLY OPPORTUNITY.

So, where does opportunity come from? If it is not luck or coincidence, fluke or fate, what is it? Opportunity belongs to everybody. It belongs to you. Opportunity is your collision with destiny becasue time and chance is given to us all.
Your life should not be lacking in new and fresh opportunities and there are five clearly identifiable steps to living a life which is continually producing God-inspired opportunity:
(1) Desire
(2) Decisions
(3) Position
(4) Endurance
(5) Initiative

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