You will make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever. (Psalm 16:11, NASB)
I love the visual image of God working upstream from us. What happens to us now has already been filtered by our Father upstream. He goes before us and clears the way. I believe he also prepares us for the path that he has set before us. Why don’t we fully understand this remarkable concept and truth?
They were prayerfully working as they planted seeds across this country to start local Links Fellowships.Last month I spent a delightful three days in Palm Springs at our National Conference for Links Fellowship leaders from across the country. I loved the golf, the people, the chance to see Links Players president Jeffrey Cranford from the pulpit in his new church, the new ideas learned, the testimonies heard, and the simple conversation around the table. It all provided energy and excitement for the new year ahead.
Links Players is in an expansion mode, and we are making a lot of decisions now regarding this anticipated future growth. Who do we bring on staff? In what areas? How will it all be sustained? Good questions, and I know there is a divine answer. Proverbs 16:9 tells us that as we plan, God directs our steps. It is not just about what we do or what God does; it is about the mutual work of Links Players and God working together in unison. I think these words from Jim Denison fit well: “When we do our best, we position ourselves to receive His best and to be used for His glory. So we praise and we fight. We work and God works with us.”
The wife of one of our long-time board members was moved to get up and speak at our conference. Priscilla Flory spoke beautifully about the early days in this golf ministry. She remembered the year, 1977, when her husband Tom Flory told her that he was going to help Jim Hiskey get this started and would work as a volunteer to help in the initial growth. She remembered that the first month he was gone for 30 days. They were prayerfully working as they planted seeds across this country to start local Links Fellowships. We know now that God was working right alongside these two, which spread to many more super volunteers in those early days. We see the fruit of that ministry now in 2017.
After the conference, I had the opportunity to get up early and walk around Old Town La Quinta, a suburb of Palm Springs. I was full of emotion and gratitude for being a small part of this movement that God has blessed for many years. Now I remain committed to spill this vision of God’s work on others. I sent a text to Jeff Cranford and told him what I was feeling. I remembered all the early meetings when our staff would get together right there in La Quinta and plan for the next year. I remembered eating breakfast right down the street, where we would laugh and cry together as we brought all this before our God.
I then received this text from Jeff: “Shine on friend. Let it spill!!! The path is being cleared for us.” Wow, it is indeed. The harvest is plentiful, and now we need more workers.
Max Lucado said, “I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.” The Lord is at work right now preparing the path!
—
Randy Wolff
January 3, 2017
Copyright 2017 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.