The LORD said to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies
under your feet.” (Psalm 110:1, NIV)
I recently enjoyed again one of my favorite golf movies, The Greatest Game Ever Played. It is the story of Francis Ouimet, the 20-year-old amateur who won the U.S. Open in 1913.
One of Ouimet’s formidable opponents in this tournament was the legendary Harry Vardon. You might know him for the Vardon grip or the Vardon trophy. Or you might know him because he won six British Open Championships and one of the three U.S. Opens in which he competed. He was the finest professional the game had ever known. He also was plagued by demons from his childhood. The movie portrayed these demons in the deepest part of Vardon’s soul as dark figures that showed up every time he had to make the most important shot of his matches. The demons likely prevented Vardon from winning some of the most significant tournaments of his career.
Ouimet also met a strong challenge. His father thought his golf to be frivolous, and he insisted that Francis should be working in his dad’s business. Ouimet’s family was not wealthy; work, not play, was the path out of hardship.
Like all movies with a great ending, Ouimet won the U.S. Open (you can’t change history!). Not only were his mom and soon-to-be girlfriend there to congratulate and hug him, but his dad left his criticisms behind and embraced Francis as any proud father would! Tears come to my eyes when I watch this scene. I had no earthly father to raise me. This absence was the demon that haunted me many times. I grew up yearning for a father’s love and acceptance.
Our demons—whether they are actual agents of Satan or just devices used by him to disarm us—are our enemies. The disrupt us, discourage us, confuse us, and dishearten us. They would, if they could, tear us from Jesus’ grasp. They cannot.
Today’s passage from David’s psalm established the fact that God (the LORD) would let Jesus (the Lord) sit close until his enemies were subdued. Jesus referred to this same passage when defending his relationship with the Father to the Pharisees in Matthew 22. The Father was standing with him still.
The great wonder here is that when we are in Jesus, becoming joint heirs with him, we gain the same protections. The Father holds us near until our enemies are put under our feet. We rest while he fights. Most of us get this backwards. We don’t assume a place of rest until God has pushed all the trouble aside. It doesn’t work that way. We give our troubles to God first, then we trust and we wait.
Whether your demons are firing at you from without or eating at you from within, God knows they are there and he knows what to do about them. Align yourself with the Son and let the Father do his work. It’s the only real way to see your enemies defeated.
—
Dereck Wong
July 10, 2014
Copyright 2014 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.