26 April, Saturday — Proclaiming His Goodness

Easter Saturday

Acts 4:13-21
Mk 16:9-15

“We cannot promise to stop proclaiming what we have seen and heard.”

Today’s reading continues the events that unfolded after Peter healed a cripple at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple. Peter and John were arrested, brought before the Sanhedrin, and sternly warned to stop proclaiming the Good News because many people were converting as a result of their message.

This verse resonates deeply with me because it reflects my own experience in this season of life.

Throughout Lent this year, I wore my Tokyo Marathon participant wristband as a reminder of God’s goodness in my life. It was a distinctive accessory and, whenever someone asked about it, provided opportunities for me to share the miracle I experienced just three days before Lent began.

Running the Tokyo Marathon had always been a dream. As one of the World Marathon Majors, it’s one of the most prestigious and sought-after races globally, with highly competitive entry. So, I was elated when I successfully balloted for a slot in this year’s race. With my 12-week training plan in place, I was ready to run my best race ever.

Then, eight weeks before the race, I sustained a partial meniscus root tear. I could not put weight on my leg, and each step came with pain and a limp. Running even a kilometre became impossible. Every article I googled pointed to surgery as the recommended option, with recovery taking months. I was told to rest the leg and avoid stressing it further to prevent additional damage.

How could I run a marathon when I could barely walk? I fell into despair.

I prayed desperately for immediate healing. The Bible is full of miraculous healings — surely if I had faith and if God was willing, I could recover in time to train for the race.

But that didn’t happen. Instead, God sent a caring doctor and a supportive running community to help me. With just a few weeks to prepare, I focused on strengthening the surrounding leg muscles and doing what little I could without worsening the injury. I had to let go of everything I knew about race training and adopt a new approach — alternating between jogging and walking at 60-second intervals! With so little time left to train, completing a 42 km race within the strict cutoff time felt impossible. Who goes into a marathon limping and without training?

So, I surrendered my race to the Lord. My only goal was to show up at the start line, take it one step, one kilometre, one checkpoint at a time — fully accepting the possibility of ending up on the sweeper bus.

But God is good. I beat the bus. I finished the race, crossing the line an hour and ten minutes ahead of the official cut-off time. I was congratulated for my grit. Perhaps the adrenaline carried me through. But honestly, completing this race without aggravating my injury was nothing short of a miracle. It defied logic and my physical limits. I was praying for healing so that I could train — it never even crossed my mind that I could finish the race in my condition.

God is good because His plan for me was far better than anything I could have imagined. He often surprises us when we let go of our expectations and surrender our outcomes to Him.

I feel like the cripple in the story. After Peter healed him, he “entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.” (Acts 3:8) While I didn’t receive the same instant miracle of healing — and while I still can’t leap (or run) right now — I can still stand, walk, and praise God.

I’ve since cut off the race wristband — but even without it, I cannot stop proclaiming His goodness. I pray that sharing my story will offer hope to others, and that it may draw hearts closer to God. Because God is good. And miracles can happen.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Esther Leet)

Prayer: Lord Jesus, open our eyes to recognise the miracles You work in and through our lives each day. May we never stop proclaiming Your goodness, so that others too may come to know You. Amen.

Thanksgiving: Thank you, Lord, for Your miracle. Thank You for answering my prayer for a safe race, and for going beyond that by bringing me to the finish line with a timing I didn’t even dare to hope for. Thank you for reminding me not only that all things are possible through You, but also that You are a generous, faithful, and loving God. Amen.