The Race He Was Never Supposed to Win

Eric Liddell arrived at the 1924 Paris Olympics as Scotland's fastest man in the 100 meters. Then he learned the heats were scheduled on a Sunday. Liddell wouldn't run. Not for a gold medal. Not for his country. Not for the roaring crowds. The Lord's Day belonged to God.

The British Olympic Committee was furious. The press called him a traitor. But Liddell had settled something deep in his soul long before he laced up his spikes. He knew what he was made for, and it wasn't simply to run fast.

So he entered the 400 meters instead — a race no one expected him to win. On July 11, 1924, he crossed the finish line in 47.6 seconds, a new world record. Before the race, a note had been pressed into his hand bearing the words of 1 Samuel 2:30: "Those who honour Me, I will honour."

The 1981 film Chariots of Fire later captured Liddell's conviction in a line that has echoed through generations: "God made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure."

That is the question every believer must answer. What is the thing that, when you do it, you sense the pleasure of the Almighty? Not the applause of the crowd. Not the approval of the committee. The quiet, unmistakable delight of the God who shaped you for something only you can do.

You were not made by accident. You were made on purpose, for a purpose. And when you walk in it, heaven smiles.