Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above and on earth below. There is no other. (Deuteronomy 4:39, NIV)
You may not be aware of the clustering of tour players at a handful of clubs across the States. Many golf fans know of the Tavistock Cup in Orlando, which began as a “friendly rivalry” pitting teams of well-known professionals from Isleworth Golf Club against those from Lake Nona. But these clubs are not alone in their golf-rich memberships. You’ll also find high concentrations of tour winners, both men and women, at places like Whisper Rock in Scottsdale, Arizona, and The Palms in La Quinta, California.
Do you want to catch a glimpse of one of the world’s best players teeing it up in a casual game among friends? Find a way to get yourself to one of these few clubs. Who knows whether success actually breeds success, but the pros here seem convinced that it rubs off from one player to another.
Finding notable athletes or other celebrities may be an enjoyable pastime, but we all recognize that it’s not nearly as important as knowing where your friends are when the time is right for an evening of rich conversation.
And then there is the biggest question of all: where is God?
At least this should be the biggest question of all. Many, however, try to steer well clear of it. They say they’re happy enough that God is there, somewhere, but they’re not too thrilled at the thought that he might actually show up at their home, their place of business, their house of worship. Jesus did that once already, and most are content to read of that visitation right where it is: in the biblical accounts of ancient history.
When we dig back even further though, into the Old Testament, we find the God was tangling himself up in the affairs of men long before Jesus. God was, Moses told the people, both “in heaven above and on earth below.”
If this was God before Jesus, this is also God after him. By his Spirit, God remains committed to contact. He is interested in you.
Is that unnerving? God at arms-length is far easier to handle than God at the kitchen table. God at a distance is God of whom I may ask things. God up close is God who may ask things of me! God in my space is God the wrestler, God who calls me to “work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12).
We always have two choices in life. We can prop up God as we want him to be. Or we can reckon with him as he is. This second choice may scare you to death, but it’s the truest life you can ever live.
—
Jeff Hopper
November 19, 2014
Copyright 2014 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.