đ©č Healing While Running
What Psalm 15 Teaches Us About Strength and Staying Close to God
Before my 57-mile race in the Blue Ridge Mountains, I tweaked a tendon in my ankle during a long run and fractured a rib. đââïž
It wasnât the kind of injury that stopped me, but it hurt. Every step reminded me that something was off. I couldâve shut everything down.
Instead, I got some medical help from a good friend (thank you Dr. Paul and to his team) and stepped onto that starting line anyway. I had compression wrapped tight around both ankles, not to stop them from moving, but to stabilize them while I kept going. And after seeking medical advice, I would also pause at the top of each mountain, during the grueling climb of fourteen thousand feet of elevation, and take deep breaths to check my ribs.
Hereâs the wild part: I finished third. And everything seemed to heal while I ran. đ ïž
That compression acted like a cast. It didnât remove the pain, but it gave me just enough support for my body to continue healing, even in motion.
Why? Because I had already put in the time.
I had endurance in the bank. đȘ
***Ok⊠A little truth. You are not normal. Our bodies are incredible. But it is also wise to listen to what our bodies are telling us. I have voices around me that can help me discern what my body is saying, because sometimes I sell my body way short of what it is capable of. Also, most voices mean well, but they donât understand, and that's okay! Let God work and move in you as you excel and manage wisely on the hilltops when you push yourself to the limit.
Anyway, Psalm 15 reminds me of this sort of unshakable strength!
đïž Psalm 15: Who Can Dwell with God?
âLORD, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain?â
âPsalm 15:1
David opens with a question that still echoes today:
Who gets to live close to God? Who stands strong when others fall?
Psalm 15 answers it by describing the type of person who dwells in Godâs presence. Not a perfect personâbut a faithful one. A person of integrity whose life is rooted in abiding.
Here are the eight characteristics David lists:
â He speaks the truth sincerely â not double-tongued or manipulative, but honest from the heart (v. 2c).
đ« He does not slander others â doesnât speak false or destructive words behind someoneâs back (v. 3a).
â€ïž He does no evil to his neighbor â treats everyone with respect and justice, not harm (v. 3b; cf. Prov. 14:17â24).
âIf an ill-natured story is told him, he will disprove it if he can; if not, it shall die with him and go no further.â (cf. 1 Peter 4:8)
đ He doesnât spread damaging information â even if itâs true, he refuses to pass on what would discredit others (v. 3c).
đ He honors those who honor God â doesnât celebrate the wicked, but esteems those who walk in faith (v. 4aâb).
đ€ He keeps his word, even when it hurts â a person whose honor means more than their wallet (v. 4c).
âHis honor is more important than his wallet.â
đž He doesnât take advantage of the vulnerable â refuses to profit from othersâ weakness by charging interest to fellow believers (v. 5a; cf. Exod. 22:25; Lev. 25:36).
âïž He refuses to twist justice for personal gain â even when it could benefit him, he wonât compromise truth (v. 5b; cf. Deut. 27:25).
This isnât a checklist to earn Godâs love.
Itâs a portrait of someone transformed by God's presence.
đ± Being Before Doing: A Heart That Stays With God
Psalm 15 isnât about perfectionâitâs about direction.
And just like a sailboat canât move without the wind, we cannot live righteously apart from Godâs presence. Without Him, we drift. With Him, weâre guided.
These eight traits are not an exhaustive list, and they are not just âgood habits.â
They flow from a life planted in God's Word, shaped by His Spirit, and strengthened through time with Him.
Like the endurance I had built from years of running, the character of Psalm 15 is forged through daily connection with God.
đ You donât stumble into a life that wonât be shakenâyou abide into it.
đ„ Pain Can Strengthen YouâIf You Abide
When you get injured, your body doesn't just give up. It fights to heal. The swelling? Itâs not the problemâitâs part of the process.
Inside that swelling, your body is:
đ§č Sending macrophages to clean up damaged cells
𧱠Activating fibroblasts to rebuild and strengthen tissue
đ Delivering oxygen and nutrients to restore what was broken
Pain doesnât always mean stop.
đĄ Sometimes, it means: wrap up, stay steady, and let God strengthen you as you keep moving.
Thatâs what abiding is like.
You stay plantedâeven in painâand the healing happens as you go.
đĄïž The Promise of Psalm 15: You Will Not Be Shaken
âWhoever does these things will never be shaken.â
âPsalm 15:5
This isnât a promise of a pain-free life.
Itâs the promise of a planted one.
When your life is built on Godâs presence:
đȘš You keep your footing when others fall
đŻ You keep your word when it costs you
đ You stand firm in stormsânot because you're perfect, but because you're rooted
đ Never Finished Challenge: Build the Life That Endures
Psalm 15 is a mirror. Take a moment. Ask yourself and God:
đ Am I walking in integrityâor cutting corners?
đŁïž Am I speaking truthâor shaping words to impress?
đ Am I investing in my relationship with Godâor coasting spiritually?
Wrap your life daily in His Word like a cast wraps a sprain.
Stay steady.
Keep moving.
Abide dailyâand youâll heal while you run. đââïžđ„
đ What Does Today Say About God?
God intentionally and beautifully made us.
Itâs 2025, and we still donât understand half of how the human body works, let alone the fullness of who He is.
And yet, for those who abide in Him, He doesnât hold back. He keeps revealing.
He keeps strengthening.
He keeps working.
𧏠Deep in your soul, God is rebuilding youâhealing whatâs broken, rewiring what was lost, and calling you forward.
There is no better race to run.
Thank you, Jesus. đ