Life as a Prize

I find it hard to realise a quarter of a century has passed since the millennium buzz that had most of the world believing the planet was going to implode as systems crashed, airplanes fell out of the sky, boats drifted aimlessly on deserted oceans, and who knows what else might happen.

We went to Xai Xai in Mozambique for two weeks of relaxing beach time. It was remote enough that communication was erratic to non-existent, and the world could blow up and we would be none the wiser.

As we drove home in the second week of January 2000, I was faintly disappointed at the normalcy that greeted us. The computers at the border worked, petrol stations were operational, no plane wreckages littered the earth. What were all those months of hype about? I am sure the conspiracy theorists had it worked out, I don’t remember. I decided it was an enormous scam by computer manufacturers and boffins to boost their sales. And importance.

Looking around our world today, I am not sure the doomsday prophets from the turn of the century don’t have some credibility – wars, Trump, global threats, Putin, perversion on a grand scale, corruption – peace is an alien concept.

But God promises peace to His people.

Part of my daily bible reading is the prophet Jeremiah – one of my favourite books in the Old Testament. A quick diversion: if you ever come across a book by Eugene Petersen called ‘Run with the Horses’, grab it. He leads one on a great journey through Jeremiah, based on the verse in Chapter 12, verse 5:

If you have run with the footmen and they have wearied you,

Then how can you contend with horses?

And if, in the land of peace,

In which you trusted, they wearied you,

Then how will you do in the

Floodplain of the Jordan?

Digression over and on to Chapter 39, verse 18:

“’For I shall surely deliver you, and you shall not fall by the sword, but your life shall be as a prize to you, because you have put your trust in Me’, says the Lord.”

This promise is repeated a little further on in Chapter 45, verse 5:

“And do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them; for behold I will bring adversity on all flesh,” says the Lord. “But I will give your life to you as a prize in all places, wherever you go.”

What an intriguing thought, such a wonderful promise – to be given my life as a prize, a precious reward for trusting the One who has my back.

I spent yesterday doing the Examen, led by Pete Greig of 247 Prayer, an exercise in replaying the year, rejoicing, repenting where necessary, and resetting for the year ahead. He suggested going through your diary and noting each month’s achievements.

As I took stock of all that went into making 2024 the year it was, I saw more failure than success—missed deadlines, unfulfilled intentions— and felt the familiar dread rising in my belly and weighting my shoulders.

And then I read a sentence asking what I had done that I thought God was most proud of. That stopped me in my tracks. God proud? Of me?

I went back to my list and started a new one listing my achievements. True, the list was shorter than I would have liked, but I began to see what I had done as against what I had not, and the negative voices began to fade. It is so easy to fall into the guilt trap, the failure mode, and dare I say, allow a measure of victim mentality to flatten our sense of worth.

I also realised that all that I had not achieved were activities that were not really essential, and probably were not what the Lord had in mind for me. I looked more closely at what I did achieve, and see I have a structure on which to build in this coming year. God has a plan for me, and for you, and it is a good plan, again according to Jeremiah, Chapter 29 verse 11:

“For I know the thoughts that I think towards you,” says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

Oh, dreadful condemnation – the forked and lying tongue of the enemy that would have us believe we are useless creatures when our Father has said time after time in His word the exact opposite.

Don’t fall for those lies. Look back, see the hills you have climbed, the challenges you have overcome, rejoice, and plan for more of the same in 2025.

God’s gift, your life as a prize is waiting for you, a life of peace amid trials or not, and it belongs to you alone. Go get it!

Happy New Year!