It is written (Matt. 4:4)
I’ll never forget one of the most challenging practice rounds I experienced during my college years. Things were going well until the final hole. My second shot landed in a bunker positioned just twenty feet in front of the green. This bunker, typical of a Pete Dye design, was notorious for its deep sand traps with imposing lips that concealed the greens from view.
Back then, I wasn’t particularly skilled at handling these treacherous bunkers and had not invested the time to master the art of getting out of them. To make matters worse, this bunker had one of Dye’s signature big intimidating lips right in front of the pin, making it an even more daunting challenge.
I made multiple attempts to escape the bunker, but frustratingly, my ball repeatedly smacked against the lip and rolled right back to me. By the time I managed to escape, I had accumulated a total of eight strokes in that unforgiving trap. Needless to say, my coach didn’t hold back on expressing his disappointment, and consequently, I found myself sentenced to an hour of bunker practice following that disastrous hole.
Later that year, I decided to attend a golf school, dedicating an entire day to honing my short-game skills. It was there that I finally learned the correct approach to escape a bunker.
The key was to open the clubface significantly and shift my focus from the ball to the sand. What was remarkable about this newfound knowledge was the realization that the sand offered a generous margin for error.
As intimidating as bunkers may appear, the odds of successfully getting out of them were surprisingly high, primarily because the precision required on the sand was far less than that on the grass.
This revelation transformed my perspective entirely, turning bunkers from a dreaded challenge into one of my strong suits, and the fear associated with them gradually faded away.
Arnold Palmer once famously remarked, “Trouble is bad to get into but fun to get out of.” In the realm of golf, his words hold true: if you can see the ball in a tricky situation, there’s a good chance you can make it out. However, I’d like to take it a step further, off the course, and suggest that there’s a way out of every predicament in life, and that way is through faith and trust in Jesus.
In times of trouble and temptation, the Bible assures us a way of escape, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation, he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it (1 Cor. 10:13).” Is there an area of your life that you feel stuck in a trap? Have you tried getting out on your own, but you can’t?
Just as Daniel escaped from the den of lions, we can escape any challenge or temptation through our trust in Jesus. You might feel that the trap you’re in is insurmountable, but rest assured that God promises you the strength and ability to overcome it.
So, the next time you find yourself in a trap, do not succumb to fear or give up. Do what Jesus did when he faced temptation in Matthew 4:1-11. He said to Satan, “It is written,” followed by Scripture. The Son of God used the Word of God to effectively end the temptations—which we know works because after three failed efforts, “the Devil left him” (v. 11). Our way out of any life bunker situation will always be the Word of God. That is our escape.
Prayer: Lord, let us remember that our way of escape in any challenging situation is through your Word. Amen.