One thing have I asked of the LORD, that I will seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple. (Psalm 27:4, ESV)
Golf is a maddening game. You can hit nearly every green and end up shooting the same score as someone who misses more than half of them. It doesn’t seem fair!
As coaches say, performance beats pretty. It doesn’t matter how you do it—spraying it, striping it, bunting it—whatever it takes to keep it in play and score. Survive and advance to the next hole. Swing methods and strategies may change; however, the objective does not: get the ball in the hole in as few as strokes as possible.
A “survive until it’s over” mentality may work on the golf course, but it would be a sad outlook for life. As followers of Jesus, we know have been given abundant life. That means we have opportunities in his kingdom that far outstretch simply getting through this life. Let me suggest two such opportunities.
The first is to seek God. Our Lord and Maker knows the best way for his creation to live. It’s in relationship with and obedience to him. He desires to be our heart’s first love. But to love someone, you need to know them. And to know them, you need to seek them out. So it is with God.
Many counterfeit gods vie for our hearts, but there is only One true God who meets all our soul needs. This is our motivation in following Christ. There is no guarantee this life will be easy or fair. Jesus gave his life for us, and he asks for everything in return. He is to be first in our thoughts and in our hearts. Why some people have two crosses to bear and others many more is not for us to answer; we each must simply be faithful with what has been entrusted to us.
The Westminster Shorter Catechism points us to our second opportunity in God’s kingdom. Question one asks, “What is the chief end of man?” And the answer: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.”
When we seek God, we find him to be everything we hoped. In God’s purpose and plan for each person, we can trust that he wastes nothing. The hurt you’ve endured or the loss you’ve suffered doesn’t slip through his hands, for he is working “all things together for good” for those who love him (Romans 8:28). No matter how maddening life may get, it is not in vain or without purpose.
When we see this clearly, we are led to praise God even in the hard times. God has been present not only when the way has been smooth, been when it has been dark and rocky and fearful. For this we can praise him. Even if you don’t have what you want, you have what you need—Christ.
In golf, performance may beat pretty, but in our Savior we find both. In the performance of his life, death, and resurrection, we too are raised from the death of our sins and live. And in the tenderness of his care for us, we find reason to praise him each day. We have unlimited access through means of grace and prayer to our Heavenly Father. May we keep coming to him via the Word, church, prayer, and worship to seek after him, gaze upon his beauty, and give him honor and praise.
—
Aimee Neff
May 17, 2018
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The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.