Fall 2024

Sports Spectrum Daily Devotional: Monday, December 23

“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” — Psalm 119:105

Under the Lights

A few of us gathered one cold night to run a Christmas 5k called “Under the Lights” along the river front. The starting line was chaotic with more than 300 participants. As people began to run and strollers glided along, I struggled to find my pace. I was a half mile in before I could catch my breath and find my steady pace to the finish line. In times of total darkness, I didn’t know what the next step would be, but I trusted the lights ahead to stay the course so carefully mapped out for me. My perception would change as I could feel my feet running from smooth sidewalk to hard road to rocky gravel.

We had guiders to steer us on the right path as the course would take on new directions. As we ran through bright colors of red, green, yellow and blue, the light of this Christmas season was brightly shining through the night sky. It reminded me of how God’s Word is the lamp to my feet and the light to my path. It wasn’t until the last mile that I took in His beauty and enjoyed the bright lights showcasing the 12 days of Christmas.

It reminded me of how we hustle through the Christmas season from one activity to the next, counting down the days till Christmas Day, that we don’t slow down enough to see the joy. In the true gift of Christmas, it’s not a partridge in a pear tree or two turtle doves; rather, it is the birth of our Savior, Christ Jesus.

Santa was at the finish to cheer us on, just like God encourages us in His daily Word. 

— Julie Wicker

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