Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. (Psalm 1:1-2, NIV)
If you’re going to be a nice guy around your club, you have to get used to patiently listening as another player tells you about his round. I know, none of us want to hear every detail, but that’s what you get sometimes. If this other fellow has had a good round, at least his report might cheer you up from your own mediocre effort that day.
But here’s what we really shouldn’t have to abide: someone who takes blustery pride in a practice session. “Oh, I was striping it,” you’ll be told. Or, “I made 50 three-footers in a row from all around the hole.” Goodness, what does it matter? It’s only practice.
What does intentional practice produce? This should be no surprise: readiness.Yet “practice makes perfect,” we’re so often told. And while not all practice is created equal, there is value to be had in intentionally going about our preparatory business. It keeps our golf muscles loose, creates proper memory in them, builds confidence for when it counts on the course, and generally improves your chances of hitting the shots you want—or at least missing it better.
Instructor Jon Sherman reminds us that we should have a plan and practice purposefully. He says, “Many golfers think that merely showing up to the range and hitting balls entitles you to lower scores. It doesn’t.” So we need to be careful that we’re not wasting our time with meaningless repetitions.
We find a similarity in the way we go about our practice of faith. After all, if we call ourselves disciples of Jesus, we’re followers not wanderers.
The model we are shown in Psalm 1 reveals a person who is intentional in two ways, guarding where they go and attending to what they do. Such people do not spend intentional or fixed time with those who would steer them off the course of their faith. And these people attend deeply to the words of God in Scripture, learning the accounts, the stories, the songs, and the commands. What does such intentional practice produce? This should be no surprise: readiness. When the man or woman of God is equipped with the knowledge and understanding of God, he or she is prepared to do the work of God in the settings in which they are placed. A ready disciple is an effective disciple. So let’s get ready!
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Jeff Hopper
October 29, 2021
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The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.