A Runner after God's Own Heart

My brother, Dave traveled to New Jersey this past week to participate in the Atlantic City Marathon.  He finished the 26 mile course in just under five hours, in keeping with his goal.  The larger goal on his mind, however, is to run a marathon in every state.  Atlantic City marked Dave’s 22nd state.

As I went about my business on Sunday morning, October 16^th, I kept thinking of Dave running in Atlantic City, praying for his safety, praying for his influence in that rather dark place.  I kept thinking that there was some significance to Dave making the investment of time and resources to drive from Michigan to New Jersey, some 600 miles, to run for five hours in Atlantic City.  “Please, God,” I prayed, make every step of his race effective, transforming in that place.

I was reminded of the promise that God gave first to Moses, then to Joshua: 

Every place where you set your foot will be yours: Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the Euphrates River to the western sea. Deuteronomy 11:24

Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. Joshua 1:3

Could it be that the thousands of times Dave’s Nike running shoes hit the pavement in Atlantic City on Sunday, October 16, 2011, between 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. that God’s “ownership” of that city and region was being established?  What can happen when a man after God’s own heart makes an investment in a region? 

So I pray this morning for Atlantic City, New Jersey, and for the other 22 states where this runner after God’s own heart has run, invested and prayed.  May God’s ownership of each city be established; may circumstances and atmosphere change over Atlantic City; may unemployment and poverty be abolished in this sad place; may crime diminish as the knowledge of God’s ways and thoughts become important to the residents there. May salvation come to Atlantic City, New Jersey, in Jesus’ name.