Running Devotionals: Training on God's Word as Coaching for Life's Runs

By CH [LTC RET] Arthur W. Coffey Jr D Min

In this training, I will ask you to consider a hierarchy of God’s Word over the human spirit, over the mind, and over the body. My spirit is that part of my being that can perceive God “talking” to me through his Word about specific conditions in my life.

When John the Baptist, still in his mother’s womb, sensed the

• Language: English
• Publisher: TOPLINK PUBLISHING, LLC
• Release date: Jan 7, 2019
• ISBN: 9781970066906

CH [LTC RET] Arthur W. Coffey Jr D Min

Arthur Coffey has served as a parish pastor for fifteen years, an Army chaplain for twenty-three years, and a Veterans Affairs Medical Center chaplain for twelve years. He was mobilized for Operation Desert Shield, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Joint Endeavor, and the Humanitarian Aid tour to Guatemala. Coffey is the recipient of the Witherspoon Award for "most creative use of Scripture," presented by the National Bible Association and the Armed Forces Chief of Chaplains. He is also the recipient of a Veterans Affairs National Chaplain of the Month award for "outstanding service in the promotion of the Bible in ministry, healing and research". In addition, Coffey presented his Alzheimer's research, centered on Scripture, at the Mayo Clinic, where it was voted the most outstanding of those presented and declared to be "pioneer research" because no other known research had ever used Scripture as the independent variable.

Book preview

cover.jpg

Running Devotionals

Training on God’s Word as Coaching for Life’s Runs

Habakkuk 2:2 New King James Version (NKJV)

"Then the

Lord

answered me and said:

‘Write the vision

And make it plain on tablets,

That he may run who reads it.’"

CH [LTC, RET] Arthur. W. Coffey, Jr., D. Min.

Image4009.jpg

Copyright © 2019 by CH [LTC, RET] Arthur. W. Coffey, Jr., D. Min.

Paperback: 978-1-970066-89-0

eBook: 978-1-970066-90-6

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Ordering Information:

For orders and inquiries, please contact:

1-888-375-9818

www.toplinkpublishing.com

[e-mail]

Printed in the United States of America

Contents

Preface

Introduction

CHAPTERS:

JANUARY: Month of Beginnings

FEBRUARY: Month of Discontent

MARCH: Month of Wind

APRIL: Month of Water

MAY: Month of Vision

JUNE: Month of Fire

JULY: Month of Endurance

AUGUST: Month of Hope

SEPTEMBER: Month of Memories

OCTOBER: Month of Praise

NOVEMBER: Month of Peace

DECEMBER: Month of Victory

Postscript

Addendum

Author Bio

Preface

This book was born from the crucible of training for marathons, near-death accident and broken family, loss of home and job and dark depression. The pages have ached for a word that speaks on a theme that is timeless.

St. Paul, author of about one-third of the New Testament, summarized his personal journey in his latter writings with words: "⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7 New King James Version (NKJV) These words ring in the needed theme. The walls and struggles encountered by the runner of a physical marathon also rise up to challenge the runner of mental, emotional, interpersonal, financial and spiritual marathons."

Introduction

I invite the reader to join me on the spiritual pavement as we train on God’s Word. My Bible translation of preference from childhood has been the King James Version (KJV), for its scholarship in translating the Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic texts. I have also cited, briefly, in this book the Amplified Bible for doing the same into modern language, and the Living Bible, to assist readers who are not familiar with the Scriptures.

God’s Word can speak to and change real-life crises as it did for me—leaving a sense of wonder and comfort about God’s Word. Theologically, it would mean encountering Scripture—not just as logos (an idea or concept), but as rhema (word spoken directly, meant to be personal). How could the Scriptures become more than words on a page?

This devotional book will introduce a body-mind-spirit transfer of training dynamic. What is that dynamic? Try asking yourself the following questions: 1) What can I learn from a physical run or challenge that will help me with a mental run or challenge and vice versa? 2) What can I learn from a spiritual run or challenge that will help me with both a physical and a mental challenge? And 3) what can I learn from a physical and a mental run or challenge that would become a living parable, a reflection of what I’m learning on the spiritual level of my life?

In this training, I will ask you to consider a hierarchy of God’s Word over the human spirit, over the mind, and over the body. If I ask the questions: Who am I? and What is my identity? God’s answer will be, I am spirit, I have a mind, and I live in a body. God’s Word will address my identity as spirit, even when I’m knocked out on the operating table. What my spirit—that part of me that connects with the Word and will live somewhere forever—hears will then speak to my mind; next, my mind will help direct my body to take steps according to the original Word given. My spirit is that part of my being that can perceive God talking to me through his Word about specific conditions in my life. I hear him in the sense that I know that I know. When John the Baptist, still in his mother’s womb, sensed the presence of Jesus, who was still in Mary’s womb, he leaped inside his mother’s womb (see Luke 1:41). He had connected with the Word made flesh (John 1:14). "The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all the inner depths of his heart" (Prov. 20:27).

My prayer is that the reader will move closer to and relate with God’s heart on a deeper level as you move closer to and relate more deeply with His Word (see: John 1:1). "For physical training is of some value—useful for a little; but godliness (spiritual training) is useful and of value in everything and in every way, for it holds promise for the present life and also for the life which is to come. (1 Tim. 4:7–8 The Amplified Bible, or AMP Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer." (Ps. 19:14 KJV). [Training is a gerund verb indicating a consistent or daily exercise!]

Ecclesiastes 9:11 (NKJV)

I returned and saw under the sun that—

The race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all.

January.jpg

January 1

Month of Beginnings

-continued-

January 2

January 3

January 4

January 5

JANUARY 6

-continued-

January 7

January 8

January 9

-continued-

January 10

January 11

January 12

January 13

January 14

-continued-

January 15

January 16

-continued-