Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to the skillful; but time and chance happen to them all.

Ecclesiastes 9:11

As a runner, I always keep an eye out for Bible passages that mention running or races, and this one caught my eye the last time I read Ecclesiastes. I like this verse because it seems to describe a lot of what we see here in our earthly lives, “under the sun,” as the writer says.

When we rely on our own abilities, the results are not always what we hope for, even if we are skilled or wise or strong or swift. Our best plans can sometimes go completely wrong. In our world, “time and chance” can make all of our wisdom or training or intelligence useless. It is only by relying on God that we can be sure that we will reach our goals.

I’ve run in many races over the years. On race day, when I line up with the other runners for the start, I know that no matter how much I’ve trained, what happens next is mostly out of my control – time and chance. So, before the start I pray that God will watch over all of us and keep us safe on the course, and that He will help me to make good decisions during the race and that I will run the best race that I can. I’m not a very fast runner, so there is very little chance of me winning the race, but with God’s help, it can be a great experience.

Dear Lord, thank You for all the skills and talents that you have given to us. Please help us to recognize the limits of our abilities, and help us to put our trust in You. Amen.