Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here am I.” (Genesis 22:10-11, ESV)
There are “I’d love to play there” golf courses, like Augusta National and Pine Valley, that are nationally known, and there are regionally known courses with the same draw. Every serious golfer in Arkansas probably wants to play The Alotian Club, but if you aren’t around that area, you might not have heard of it. (Golf Digest ranks it above Pinehurst No. 2 and Bethpage State Park Black.)
In Arizona one club with a lot of mystique and desirability is Whisper Rock. Exclusive, immaculate, with more than 30 PGA Tour pros as members. Two courses, no tee times, and outstanding milkshakes.
One member I met said, “If there is golf in heaven, it’s based on Whisper Rock.” Clearly God had already been there, because there are rock formations on the Upper Course that man would have neither the imagination nor the power to create. On the first hole my friend pointed at the hill above the green and asked, “Who do you suppose put that rock there?”
To go into the details on God’s timing for our day at Whisper Rock would only confirm that, like those rock formations, it was God who did it and not us. But two items are worth noting: my friend Ben, whose son made the connection, lives in Texas, not Arizona; and while I was on the putting green I heard Ben say, “What are you doing here?” His question was addressed to our mutual friend Dr. David Cook (author of Golf’s Sacred Journey: Seven Days at the Links of Utopia), who is also from Texas!
How has God’s timing in something for his kingdom evident to you? Have you just “happened” to meet someone in an unexpected place? Have you received a phone call or an e-mail or a check at just the right time? Have you arrived somewhere thinking you were late or early, only to discover you were just right?
Abraham experienced God’s perfect timing when he was about to sacrifice Isaac, the son God had promised him. The knife was in his hand but faith was in his heart, and God came through, as he always has and always will.
I never tried to get on Whisper Rock, but God provided not only the opportunity but also exactly the right people at exactly the right time. It could not have been a better day or a better experience, because God’s timing is always perfect.
Watch for it, acknowledge it, and, in faith, live by that beautiful truth.
—
Lewis Greer
March 21, 2018
Copyright 2018 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.