“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24-25, NASB)
There is something overwhelmingly consistent and predictable about golf. Our scores fluctuate and handicaps creep up and down, but we usually find a way to post our average score. An 85 shooter finds a way to shoot 85. His 38 on the front nine often ends with a 47 on the back. Conversely, a 72 shooter who posts a 40 on the front, often finds a way to shoot 32 on the back. An 85 shooter is not transformed into a 72 shooter overnight. It takes years of practice and dedication and talent to build a foundation that is dependable.
I’m sure you would like to be a 72 shooter in life. This doesn’t happen by accident either. But front-nine 40s really can be met with back-nine 32s.
Both [friends] are in the middle of chemo and radiation, yet they trust God even more now.No one really knows how he or she will respond when the storms come, but we can build now while the sun is shining in preparation for the inevitable life interruption. I have witnessed friends who have recently encountered major tribulations. I have observed these friends who have a solid faith foundation built over many years. They respond with character and trust Jesus for the outcome.
I have two great examples. Shelby was blindsided with a brain tumor that still threatens to shorten his life. Jeff encountered a lump in his throat that has led to several major surgeries. Both are in the middle of chemo and radiation, yet they trust God even more now. What a light they have been to others.
This note and poem is from Shelby and his wife:
Thank you for your love that you have shown in so many ways!
The Lord has chosen to alter our path and magnify our days.
Our prayer is that His light will shine so brightly no one can miss
That we are ready to be used by Him for a time such as this.
You can gather a glimpse of Jeff’s faith in an email he recently sent to me:
It’s easy to fall into a pattern of riding waves of anxious days while waiting for scan results. I refuse to do that, but I am very willing to cry happy tears every time scans come back clean, because it is a reminder of God’s constant care for me. All in all, we keep praying with you and for you. Some of you have been or are going through experiences much like ours, either as a patient or the spouse or loved one of a patient. We know God has His hands on you, too—from symptom to symptom, treatment to treatment, and scan to scan.
Both Shelby and Jeff have been building this foundation of faith for years. God gives us opportunities in the upheavals of life. The outcome is still in question, but Shelby and Jeff’s response is both consistent and predictable. I want to be like that. I desire to continue to build on the foundation God has started. He has a plan, and I have a Savior who loves me consistently and predictably. That’s a Savior we can trust.
—
Randy Wolff
July 2, 2018
Copyright 2018 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.