At the end of forty days they returned from spying out the land…. They brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. And they told [Moses], “We came to the land to which you sent us. It flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit.” (Numbers 13:25-27, ESV)
The back tee on fifteen at Mesa Country Club is elevated enough that when I stand on it I can see over the fence that surrounds the club and watch cars go by on Country Club Drive.
Few of those driving past at 45 or 50 mph have any idea of the land that lies just beyond that fence. In fact, many who pass are barely aware of the fence itself. If they could see through it, they would discover a land “flowing with milk and honey.”
I want my friends to come and enjoy it with me, and I want them to become members.That phrase is not literal, of course. Neither milk nor honey flow like the water in a river. The indication, though, is clear. This place is amazing! It was true for the promised land and it is true for Mesa, which is not the most beautiful or breathtaking or dramatic course even in Arizona, but is exceedingly desirable. Everyone who has seen it says so.
Knowing that, I love to invite people to play golf there. Or even come and have lunch, sitting on the patio of the clubhouse and looking out over the course. There is not a cactus in sight, even though we are in the Sonoran Desert. But there are a couple of thousand trees and about 200 acres of green grass, and there are elevation changes. It makes you want to be there.
Heaven is even better. From what I read, it must be beyond amazing. The apostle John described it as having streets of gold. Back in 1988, when I attended the U.S. Senior Open, I told my wife that John only used that image because he had never seen the fairways at Medinah.
One day on the fifteenth tee it occurred to me that Mesa Country Club had some things in common with heaven. People drive right by and never see it. If they think about it at all, they probably think they don’t belong, or that they can’t get in. But for sure they have no idea of the wonder that lies just over the fence.
Some days I want to go out into the street and wave people over so they can experience Mesa for themselves. Always I want my friends to come and enjoy it with me, and I want them to become members.
Do I have the same feelings for heaven? Do I want my friends to be there to enjoy it with me? Do I love it enough to compel strangers to consider coming in and taking a look? Do I want others to become “members” so they can be there all the time? Yes, to all of those.
When you discover the ultimate promised land (heaven) and experience it even in your spirit, I pray that you, too, will invite others in. There is no restriction on membership, and the price has already been paid.
—
Lewis Greer
October 19, 2016
Copyright 2016 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.