Devotional
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June 30, 2013
Set:
You don’t see it much anymore, but when sports teams used to be really bad, fans would wear paper bags over their heads during games. They were at the game, but ashamed of their team and didn’t want anyone to know who they were.
Jesus did many miracles and amazed people daily. No one saw this more than His disciples. They were front-row fans, so to speak. One day, Jesus told them that if they truly believed who He was, they would not be ashamed of Him and His message. Like the fans of old, one of His disciples, Peter, became ashamed of Jesus to the point of publicly denying Him—not once, but three times!
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June 29, 2013
Set:
What athlete does not want to be in a Hall of Fame? What little kid playing T-ball doesn’t dream of hitting the winning home run in the World Series? What sixth grader playing touch football at recess doesn’t dream of playing in the Super Bowl? It is in our nature to be driven competitors.
Our society has special places of honor for those who are above average. Whether it is dreaming of being inducted in Canton, Ohio, as a gridiron great or making it to Cooperstown, New York, as a hero of the diamond, everybody wants to be the best. The thing some athletes don’t realize is that they are already in God’s Hall of Fame.
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June 28, 2013
Set:
We can all recall a time when we’ve competed to the point of total exhaustion, our bodies, minds, and souls fully spent in pursuit of a victory. How does one continue to compete at the point of physical breakdown and total collapse?
The writer of this psalm knew what it was for his flesh and heart to fail. He had totally exhausted the capacity of his body to fight, but had lived on. He had been to the very end of his heart’s ability to love, but found renewed strength of soul.
At the end of a body’s natural ability to compete, God is a limitless source of strength. When our hearts are poured out like much water, God is a river of life to the soul.
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June 27, 2013
Set:
I remember starting practice for fall sports after a lazy summer. Practice often included two-a-days—working in the morning and afternoon to get in shape for the season. If we didn’t stay in shape during the summer, we were going to suffer.
Suffering, pain, and hardships are not things we look forward to. How often do we pray for anything on that list—or thank God for such difficulties? We avoid them! We would rather experience God’s blessings, favor, and success. Yet Paul not only experienced persecution on a regular basis, the Holy Spirit led him into it.
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June 26, 2013
Set:
During the 2008 Olympics, NBC aired a special segment on the diet of record-breaking swimmer Michael Phelps. It was incredible! They said that he tries to eat 8,000 to 10,000 calories a day. That is as much as I eat in five days. But when Phelps is in heavy training and competition, his body needs all the fuel it can get.
Allow me to make a quick analogy. As Christians, we’re in a daily spiritual battle, facing tough temptations, situations, interactions, and decisions. It’s our own version of competition, yet there’s a lot more at stake than a sporting event. The eternity of souls is up for grabs, and God has called us to compete for them.
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June 25, 2013
Set:
Coaches want to tell their athletes exactly what needs to be dsone and have confidence they’ll do it. Athletes want coaches to be direct. They want to know exactly what play to run. They don’t want surprises. Knowing exactly what is expected is how athletes focus on what they have to do.
David gave Solomon this kind of direction in 1 Kings. David knew his time on earth was almost up. He knew Solomon would need to focus in order to prepare for what was coming. David gave Solomon very direct expectations for his life.
We can take these same directions and apply them to our lives today. When we take “Coach” David’s to-do list and apply it to our lives, we will have the focus we need to succeed in the game of life.
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June 24, 2013
Set:
On a dark rainy night I was driving in an unfamiliar place. As I made a turn, I was faced with cars driving in my direction. I had turned short of my road and was on the highway exit ramp! Fortunately, no accident took place and I was able to adjust my direction.
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June 23, 2013
Set:
Think about a team—maybe a school team or one’s family as a team. How many people are on a team? Are they all the same? Do they look alike? act alike? think alike? Probably not, but they are still a cohesive unit of one. On a team, what are the roles of each person and position? In football, what if everyone were the quarterback? What would get accomplished? In soccer, what if everyone were the goalie? How would that play out?
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June 22, 2013
Set:
Here’s a heart check—do we do what pleases our coaches all the time or only when they are watching? Do we do the right thing just to win their favor or because it’s right? In Ephesians 6:6, Paul was rather direct with the people of Ephesus about their work ethic.
I often watch teams closely during practice and as they warm up prior to competitions. I see players who give a great effort when the coach is watching, but as soon as the coach’s head is turned, some of those players immediately start cutting corners and cheating on drills. Their hearts are not fully with their coaches or their teammates. They fail the heart check.
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June 21, 2013
Set:
Everybody wants the glory. Why shouldn’t we? It feels good to have someone say we played a good game. It feels good when someone compliments our athleticism or coaching skills. It feels good to hear our name over the loud speaker after a good play. The problem is, we didn’t do anything to deserve it.
Paul told the church at Corinth that they didn’t have anything they didn’t receive. That means they didn’t have anything at all that God did not give to them. Most of our society today has forgotten this.
