Wisdom4Winning Devotional, 23nd October 2012

TOPIC: BREAD OF DECEIT
Key scripture for Today
Proverbs 20:17-18 (KJV)
17Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.

Yesterday was one of the worst days of my life. I saw it coming a long time now but I prayed for it not to come. I prayed for the entire gamut of evidences to turn out to be untrue, I prayed for God to prove all his accusers to be liars, I trusted that God will vindicate him and that, like Tiger Woods, he will not start losing all those juicy sponsors and contracts with Nike, Oakley etc. I even prayed that even if the allegations were true, God will yet find a way to forgive him and cause this nightmare to be over in a flash and that it will just die a natural death like some things do. He has become one of my greatest icons of Hope, Survival and Determination. I have used him to inspire people at Conferences, Seminars, Retreats and Trainings. His rise to Iconic Legendary has been for decades one of my best Case Studies for as long as I can remember. And his drive to raise over $500 million for the treatment of cancer patients in the United States has remained one of my best examples of Giving Back to Society after you have been blessed. But alas, after all the fame, after the glitter and glamour of stardom and legendary, Lance Armstrong has been stripped of all seven Tour De France titles, stripped of all medals, stripped of all honor, banned for life from the sport of cycling and may be asked to return back all Gifts and money given to him as a result of those titles. He has lost his place as the President of Livestrong Foundation and dashed the hopes of millions like me who drew so much strength from his very inspiring story. Don't get me wrong, I love Lance right or wrong. I can't even begin to start unloving him now. If I were in the US I will find a way to reach out to him and encourage him at this time just as he has inspired me literally throughout my life.
After months of testing, The UCI accepted the findings of the United States Anti-Doping Agency which found Armstrong guilty of masterminding sport’s most elaborate doping conspiracy. Lance Armstrong’s name will be totally erased from the history of the cycling sport.
But the question is "was it worth all the shame, the humiliation, the opprobrium and the disgrace. Was it worth the pain it has caused him, his family and millions of fans all over the world? Was it worth loosing at old age what you have invested your entire lifetime to build? Was it worth the embarrassment his kids will face at school, the shame the wife and relations will face at work or the stigma and despise the once respected name will now carry for many generations to come ? Abraham Lincoln said "You can fool some of the people all the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all the time"

Thomas Brooks said "Satan is a terrible taskmaster. Here’s a helpful quotation which summarizes his deceit: ‘He promises the best, but pays with the worst; he promises honour and pays with disgrace; he promises pleasure and pays with pain; he promises profit and pays with loss; he promises life and pays with death’. Temptations are certain to ring your doorbell; but it’s your own fault if you ask them to stay for dinner!’ Perhaps the biggest temptation of my friend and mentor was a desire to become a Star at all cost. It's a temptation that is common but before you embark on that journey remember our text: Proverbs 20:17 "Stolen bread tastes sweet, but soon your mouth is full of gravel". Or "Food gained dishonestly tastes sweet to a person, but afterwards his mouth will be filled with gravel." J.C. Watts said "Character is doing the right thing when nobody's looking. There are too many people who think that the only thing that's right is to get by, and the only thing that's wrong is to get caught. “And Thomas Paine concluded "Character is much easier kept than recovered."
Let us pray
Father, grant me the grace to rise only by integrity in Jesus name.
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