But I prayed, “Now strengthen my hands.” (Nehemiah 6:9, NIV)
Wow, that was one hard Sunday afternoon! I mean, what were we supposed to watch?
The energy was already high at the Solheim Cup, and it continued with Sunday’s singles action. European team captain Annika Sorenstam said the US rout came down to one thing: Her team got outplayed. The golf was great on both sides, but it was decidedly greater on the US side this time around.
Your work may not be the same as others’, but it is meaningful and it can be accomplished with as much resolve and success.Then there was the maniacal free-for-all that was the Wyndham Championship, with the PGA Tour’s bubble boys fighting it out for a spot in the FedEx Cup playoffs. Martin Flores secured his spot a hole-in-one at the sixteenth, Rory Sabbatini grabbed an entry into next week’s first round with a 58-foot bomb on the same hole, and in the end J.J. Henry grabbed the final slot by little more than a point over the unfortunate Zac Blair.
But the culminating event of the day—the US Amateur at Riviera Country Club—saved the proverbial best for last. There Clemson’s Doc Redman finished eagle-birdie to square the 36-hole match, then won it on the first extra hole over a stunned Doug Ghim.
It really is difficult to know what to do when all your options are good ones.
I was sitting in a meeting of leaders in a local church this week when one faithful woman asked a very tough question: “I know that I’m supposed to reach out and love my neighbors more, but I find it’s hard enough making proper time for all my church friends. How do I balance this?” Mind you, this is a mom with several school-age children, so she’s faced with three big responsibilities!
What would you tell her? What do you tell yourself when you’re weighing good versus good?
Although we have only a few lines for the matter here today, there are a couple of helpful principles you may need to keep in mind.
First, know your time and place. When Nehemiah prayed to the Lord to make his hands strong for the work, it was a particular work (wall building) he had been given, and detractors were attempting to discourage him. Nehemiah did not want this to happen; he was focused. When we know our time and place—that is, what we have been called to do and the arena in which we are called to do it—we can stay focused. (And remember, today is not tomorrow. The Lord may change your calling in different seasons of life. You’ll know this by attending first to him.)
Second, pray as Nehemiah did. When your hands are strong for the work you’ve been given, you can stick with it, just as others stick with the work the Lord gives them. Your work may not be the same as theirs, but it is meaningful and it can be accomplished with as much resolve and success.
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Jeff Hopper
August 21, 2017
Copyright 2017 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.