Determined QB
August 22
Ya never know what the Lord is up to! I like that about him. He keeps life so exciting. We have a young man, we claim as a grandson. We've known him since birth and he is now a high school junior and quarterbacking for his school's football team. He lives out of state, but we are able to listen to his games online. Last year, I made a tradition of having a text waiting for him on his phone in the locker room after the game. Planning on continuing the process this year, but I felt led to go a step further and really got a kick out of where the new plan took me last night.
Thought it might be fun to share these with you each week. I try not to use names and tales, so we will just call him QB.
Week 1
QB, the Lord impressed upon my heart, during
your game Friday night, to ask him to give me a word and a verse each
week to encourage you.
This week, I keep going back to the word determined
or determination.
So I am:
Praying for God to equip you with the
determination to press on toward the goal of being a young man on and off the
field who: loves God, fears God and serves God.
Praying for God to give you the determination
to keep on keeping on for him, even when the battle on the field is ferocious
and you are tired and weary.
Praying for God to help you be determined to
stand against all the temptations that will befall you in high school, college and into adulthood.
I just went to Biblegateway.com and typed in
determined.
I don’t think I’ve found the exact verse yet,
but this one made me laugh in reference to a football quarterback….I am sure there will be games you feel this way.
Psalm 59
1-2 My God! Rescue me from
my enemies, defend me from these mutineers. Rescue me from their dirty
tricks, save me from their hit men.
3-4 Desperadoes have ganged
up on me, they're hiding in ambush for me.
I did nothing to deserve
this, God, crossed no one, wronged no one.
All the same, they're after
me, determined to get me.
4-5 Wake up and see for
yourself! You're God, God-of-Angel-Armies, Israel's God!
Get on the job and take care of
these pagans, don't be soft on these hard cases.
The next one is a little fluffier. As Paul
encourages his buddies in this verse, I want to encourage you, QB.
First of all, praise God for your parents, who
have trained you up to know the Lord, to stand in truth and trust in the Lord
on good days and crummy ones. Last week I read this quote in a study I
am doing. “The point of life is to please God.” No matter what we are
called to do, we are to be pleasing in his sight. Whether we win, lose or get
carried off the field, God gets the glory and we trust it is all for the
benefit of shaping us to be more like Christ.
When we saw you warming up last year on the sidelines, I envisioned Jesus
right there beside you. When I saw the picture on another player's FB
page this year of three of you holding hands as you went out for the coin toss, I envisioned Jesus holding your other hand.
"Resolute, staunch (the determined defenders of
the Alamo), decided, settled, resolved."
That is the kind of quarterback a coach at any level would like to have. :)
You need to know, friends, that thanking
God over and over for you is not only a pleasure; it's a must. We have to do
it. Your faith is growing phenomenally; your love for each other is
developing wonderfully. Why, it's only right that we give thanks. We're
so proud of you; you're so steady and determined in
your faith despite all the hard times that have come down on you. We tell
everyone we meet in the churches all about you.
QB, I love you lots! Rejoice today because you have been chosen by God to be an heir to his kingdom, which beholds things we cannot even imagine. Keep on keeping on and let me know any prayer needs. Each week I also want to pray for the faith of another one of your teammates.
Mama Boo
