Spiritual Sunday: Chariots of Fire

The 10 commandments God has given in the book of Exodus provide instruction and guidance that has shaped nearly every nations governing laws since. These are the basic tools for creating peace and prosperity in any community, stating some laws such as putting God first, don’t kill anyone, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, yet right up there in the first half of the 10 commandments is a commandment that is just as important and in our day and age harder to keep and that is the Sabbath day.

Eric Liddell was a Christian who was born in Scotland and born with ludicrous speed. This guy was fast beyond compare. The thing that really made Eric stand out was not how much speed force was in him (shout out to those who caught that reference) but the fact that he only ran for the glory of God.

Eric made it to the 1924 Olympics but ran into a snag when the last competing event was held on a Sunday. Many people tried to get Eric to place this matter aside so that he can run and represent Scotland in the race. Eric would not do it. The guy was willing to give up his chance at Olympic fame in order to keep the fourth commandment.

What are we willing to give up to keep the commandments of God? When God gave us the commandments he knew it wouldn’t be easy to keep them. That is why repentance is around but the point is not to make a mistake and let the savior take the fall for it. The purpose is to put our mistakes behind us and constantly work to being better than before. It’s a process of moving forward.

Eric Liddell was given the chance to run in a race he had not trained for on a different day. Eric took the chance but before he raced, Eric was given a slip of paper that said “He who honors me, I will honor” (see 1 Samuel 2:30).

Eric raced and raced, he ran harder than he ever had in his life and came out first place. God blessed him for keeping the commandments, and Eric believed that to his dying day in 1945. Fame also followed, beyond what would have happened had he raced on a Sunday, when his story was immortalized in the movie Chariots of Fire.

Observe your Sabbath day Activities. What are you doing to keep the Sabbath day holy? What can you improve on? I know that as we honor God, he will honor us and bless us to where we will not have enough room to receive it.

Have a Wonderful Sabbath.