And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:16-17, ESV)
Most golfers have at one time or another sought swing advice from a trusted instructor or teacher. Even those who claim to be self-taught like Bubba Watson had at least one lesson (from his father) or many times they ask friends, watch golf shows, or read golf magazines to pick up tips here and there. We marvel over those who have required little instruction and yet managed to have incredible success.
It’s easy to crave achievement that makes much of us. We delight in the praise of others and being seen as talented, wise, self-driven or self-made.
Praise God that while we fail daily, Christ didn’t fail!In the beginning, when Adam and Eve took the fruit from the serpent, what appealed to them was the ability to be like God. Satan tempted them when he questioned and twisted God’s words by asking, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?… You will not surely die for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:1-5).
Genesis 3 shows us our first sin as mankind. We disobeyed and sinned when tempted to take matters into our own hands. Adam and Eve chose to rebel against God by trusting their own discernment versus what God had commanded them. Surely God doesn’t know us best; we know better. Lie! How different are we from Adam and Eve?
The truth is that none of us are self-made, we are all made by God. We were not made to live life the best we can based on our own wisdom and experience. No, we were made to live life fully dependent and interconnected to our heavenly Father. Want instruction on the life we as followers of Christ are called to live? Let’s start by opening up the Word of God and letting it read us and teach us in the way we should go. His word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path (Psalm 109:105). What better place to turn to than to than the one who knit us together in our mother’s womb!
Furthermore, we look to Jesus, who delighted in being obedient to the Father, fully trusting and knowing that the Father knew best. Jesus asked for the cup to be taken from him—yet not Jesus’ will, but the Father’s be done. Praise God that while we fail daily, Christ didn’t fail!
Being self-taught in golf may work for a few, but self-taught Christians don’t exist. May God in his grace, show us our need for him today, and may we respond to hearing the Word of God by confessing with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and believing in our hearts that God raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9-10).
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Aimee Neff
October 19, 2017
Copyright 2017 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.