The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all. (Psalm 103:19, NIV)
The golf professional at your local club might be one of several things to you.
If you are the president of the club, the professional is your employee, paid to serve the members and answer to you and your board.
To believe God truly, we must see him for who he truly is and for what he truly does.If you are an everyday player, the professional is the one who takes your call for a tee time, encourages you to play the club’s next event, and listens to your tales of woe, even though he’s heard them all before.
If you are a confident critic, the professional is the one who messed up your buddy’s swing—you would never let him set his hand to yours!
But if you are a junior golfer, eager to learn and looking for a space of your own on this big, green playing field, the professional is likely one of your real-life heroes.
We live in a time when opinion reigns. Everyone is not only entitled to one but should be respected for being brave enough to “put it out there.” Delivering your personal perspective is an act of courage, an expression of the self; we can’t fault anyone for being who they are.
Except God.
You read that right. When it comes to who God is, what he says of himself is so frequently tossed aside. The Scriptures are only the writings of men, we argue, inventions of those who are desperate for something bigger than themselves. “When I want your opinion, I’ll give it to you,” we say to God, then we make him whoever we want him to be.
He might be our servant, on call to do whatever we demand of him. He might be the provider of parking spots or our sounding board when things aren’t going as we think they should. Maybe we want nothing to do with him, because he “messed up” the life of the most religious friend we know, leading that friend into pain and trouble.
But what God’s own Word says of God must supplant all these perspectives. To believe God truly, we must see him for who he truly is and for what he truly does. Psalms 103 and 104 are a great place to start. They are full of reminders of God’s wonderful nature—as one who creates and sustains, one who provides for every needy creature, one who loves with graciousness and compassion, one who forgives us to no end, and one who reigns above all.
The Lord to you must be the Lord who is, or he is not your Lord at all.
—
Jeff Hopper
May 9, 2017
Copyright 2017 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.