The MOST Amazing Race

With the debut of the new season of TV "reality shows" (Survivor, The Great Race, etc), I thought I might share with you something God showed me as I watched the end of one of last year's episodes of The Great Race. I hope that it speaks to you as it spoke to me.

I was reading about the winners of the latest edition of the Amazing Race in USA Today (Ulchenna and Joyce; it made the front page) the other day, after having seen yet another commercial for the finale of Survivor - Palau on Sunday, when it suddenly struck me: Wasn't the Apostle Paul the original "Reality" contestant? I mean, think about it, didn't his "road blocks" and "challenges" make these modern day "reality shows" look like a walk in the park?

In Acts 20:24, Paul himself said, "However, I consider my task worth nothing to me, if only I may FINISH THE RACE and complete the task the Lord has given me - the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace." Have you ever looked at the "races" (not one, but four) that Paul ran to spread the Gospel? Many of the newer Bibles have them illustrated in the back appendices - or you could probably go on line to view them. Considering the times and modes of transportation available, they were truly AMAZING, especially the last one, his trip to Rome. Consider, for instance, the litany of tasks, roadblocks and setbacks he had to endure as listed in 2 Cor 11:24-28.

Take a look at the description of Paul's last race to Rome in Acts 27 and 28 - it's unbelievable! He rode a "Northeaster" with hurricane force winds across the Adriatic Sea for FOURTEEN DAYS, only to be shipwrecked (thanks to him, no lives were lost!), where he participated in the first Survivor series, Survivor - Malta, where, among other things, he survived a poisonous snake bite with no ill effects, and then went on to heal all the sick on the island. Man, what a contestant!

In a quote about his winning strategy, Paul said, "One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Php 3:13-14.) Wow! So what if Ulchenna, Joyce and Tom (he won Survivor - Palau last night) won; all they got was a little money.

I wonder...Do you think that Producer Mark Burkett would consider acknowledging creative rights on these productions? ;-)

Have a GREAT RACE yourself today!

MarkMc