I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. (Psalm 16:8, ESV)
What do you do when you find yourself in a slump? What do you do after you have a bad hole during a tournament round? What do you do if you are really nervous on the first tee? What do you do if you have a putt to win the tournament?
During a recent College Golf Fellowship retreat hosted by Davis Love and Jonathan Byrd, these were the questions that kept being raised during the Q and A portion of the retreat. Interestingly, Davis and Jonathan kept repeating the same answer to all of these questions: Pre-shot routine, pre-shot routine, pre-shot routine. If you find yourself in a slump, go back to your pre-shot routine. If you have just had a bad hole, focus on your pre-shot routine. If you are really nervous on the first hole, concentrate on your pre-shot routine. If you have a putt to win the tournament, go through your pre-shot routine. The pre-shot routine seemed to be the answer to the majority of questions asked by the collegiate golfers.
So here’s another set of questions: How do I handle stress? Where do I turn when my life is not what I expected? My loved one just died; how do I deal with that? Success does not fulfill me; so what will? What is my purpose? What is the best use of my time?
Jesus is the answer. Whether we are dealing with stress, depression, purpose or meaning, Jesus is the answer. Psalm 16 is a Messianic psalm, meaning that it prophesies the resurrection of the coming Savior. David expounded, “Nor will you let your Holy One see decay.” But David also saw this same kind of protection for himself when he wrote: “Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” Whether major life events happen, or whether we are disappointed over something as trivial as a lost golf game, Jesus is the answer. We learned this as kids at church—Jesus is the answer. We need to apply what we learned as children to our lives—Jesus is the answer.
Various seasons of life will surely come our way, and our only confidence is Jesus. He is the answer. Because he lives, we have life, both now and forever. Anything beyond that is subject to decay.
May we live with this single purpose and chip away parts of our lives that do not match up. In Christ’s name, I pray. Amen.
—
Korky Kemp
July 25, 2012
Copyright 2012 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.