They remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer. (Psalm 78:35, NIV)
In the whirlwind of competition, when it is most important to cling to the basics, athletes forget. They call timeout when there are none left. They look over their shoulder and are passed by a charging opponent. They fail to calculate for adrenaline and knock the ball over the green into a nasty spot for an up and down.
At the time it is most critical to remember, athletes don’t.
They were the saddest of lots, not for their circumstances but for their wandering of mind and of heart.Panic, of course, can overtake you like this no matter what endeavor you are trying to pursue. Add anxiety and it’s tough to keep your head. The checklist that was so easy to tick through at the beginning of the round gets muddled in the mind when the match comes down to the final hole.
Spiritually speaking, we may be worse than that! If the enemy’s great plan is to draw our eyes from Jesus, he’ll use whatever means necessary. If trouble, fine. If success, that works too. If small worries do the trick, they’ll capture your attention with equal weight to one mention of big, bad news.
So what is our defense against such ploys?
In a word, memory.
Asaph’s lengthy Psalm 78 paints a sad picture of a people whose circumstances diverted their view of God. The more God did among them, the more they complained and demanded of him. They said: “When he struck the rock, water gushed out, and streams flowed abundantly. But can he also give us food? Can he supply meat for his people?” (v. 20).
God delivered the people from Pharaoh’s enslaving hand. They forgot. God gave them water and manna and meat. They whined for more. God brought them across the desert to the borders of his holy land, clearing the way for their settling there. They turned to idols. In every case, they did not remember who God was or what he had done for them. They were the saddest of lots, not for their circumstances but for their wandering of mind and of heart.
Friends in the faith, hold fast in your remembering who God is: Rock, Most High, Redeemer. He is merciful and forgiving and willing to restore us from our waywardness. Whatever it takes to be reminded of these things, employ it: sticky notes on your dashboard, messages on your phone, hymns in your headphones, an open Bible on your nightstand, purposeful conversations with a brother or sister in Jesus. Fight to remember! It’s that important in walking out our days.
—
Jeff Hopper
April 11, 2016
Copyright 2016 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.