Devoted Football - Devotion for 10/8/07

Devoted football – Devotion for 10/8/07

My sons are starting to more of an interest in watching and playing football, and I’ve got to admit it is kind of cool to be able to sit and watch a game with them. Earlier this football season, I took the boys to see Duke field a team for a game (that’s about all I’ll say about that), and as soon as we got home they wanted to get out in the yard and play some football. They love to run and throw, and they especially like to tackle. One of the difficult things for them to get is where to run for me to throw them the ball. I’ll say “hike,” and they’ll just stand where they are waiting for me to throw the ball. I’ll instruct them to run down the field and I’ll throw it, so they run down the field a bit and stop – waiting for me to throw the ball. I tell them I am going to throw the ball in front of them, and for them to keep running to where the ball is going, and finally it begins to sink in to them. You see, it’s difficult for them to understand that they are to go certain places on the field when they don’t even have the ball, just so they can get the ball. They seem to be thinking, “Why can’t the ball just come to me where I’m at?”

This morning I got to thinking about Moses, and how Moses really did not want to have to go confront Pharaoh. In Exodus 3-4, Moses is coming up with all kinds of excuses as to why he shouldn’t be the one: “who am I?” (basically, I’m nobody – Ex. 3:11); “what will I say? (Ex. 3:13); “what if they don’t believe me? (Ex. 4:1); “I am slow of speech and slow of tongue (Ex. 4:10). Moses spent all the time arguing with God, kind of like my sons arguing with me to throw the ball at them while they are just standing there. I think God wants us to walk (or run) by faith to where He wants us, and then He’ll throw us the ball. We may feel scared and exposed, and we may come up with all kinds of excuses that keep us from going where God wants us – “I don’t know what I’ll say;” “I’m not that good and telling someone about God;” “Who am I to tell someone about His love?” Sometimes we’ve just got to go and trust that when we get there the “ball” will get there. Don’t sit and wait for God to throw you the ball. Go to where God wants you and then expect the ball.