Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name;
make known among the nations what he has done. (Psalm 105:1, NIV)
Does anyone read a newspaper anymore? I’m thinking of those days when we would say that an athlete “made headlines.” The bigger the headline, the bigger the achievement—or at least the bigger the event. In your local newspaper, golfers didn’t often get those big headlines, which were reserved for the exploits of the local university squads, win or lose, or for the big games in the NFL or the NBA. Golf’s headlines almost always came with the majors.
But even without headlines these days, we know that some golfers get top billing. On Golf Channel or ESPN, they are the lead story. When Tiger Woods wins, it’s going to get a lot of media play. Why? Because so many eyes are on the 15-time major champion.
Tiger vs. the field might have been a bet you had to think about; God vs. the field is no contest.While new media channels have made the Tiger Woods phenomenon more than what we might have seen in the past, golf audiences have always had their favorites: Bobby, Arnie, Jack, Nancy, Annika. All of these have garnered praises “above and beyond.” And in their midst, much credit has been given to others as well, like Player, Trevino, King, Irwin, Floyd, and Norman. I can’t name them all, you know, so forgive me if your favorite is missing. But by now you understand the principle: We look out for those we love. We want to see them succeed. And when they do, we celebrate and praise them.
Well, here’s a bit of news that your local paper consistently seemed to miss: God always succeeds. He is the one worthy of our worship and praise. And there is never a time when this is not so.
Through the prophet Isaiah, God declared, “I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols.” (Isaiah 42:8). As the great I AM, eternally existent and eternally reigning, God has no rivals. Tiger vs. the field might have been a bet you had to think about; God vs. the field is no contest.
And so one of our recurring activities as those who believe and love God is to be those who praise God. We look at who he is and we proclaim it to the world. We observe what he has done and we proclaim it to the world. Like the crowds who cheer the golfer who makes the winning putt, we praise God. But we can do this every day of the week, from the practice rounds right through Sunday’s victory!
—
Jeff Hopper
May 29, 2020
Copyright 2020 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.
OTHER DEVOTIONS IN THIS SERIES
Relating to God 1: Relationships
Relating to God 2: Those Who Believe
Relating to God 3: Those Who Love God
Relating to God 4: Those Who Honor God
Relating to God 5: Those Who Obey God
Relating to God 6: Those Who Sit With God
Relating to God 7: Those Who Cry Out
Relating to God 9: Those Who Serve God
Relating to God 10: Those Who Glorify God