Who Dropped the Ball?

Tuesday, November 30th, 2010

Today's Passage: Jeremiah 29: 11-14 
Memory Verse: Jer. 29: 13-14

I heard a story today about a player who attempted to catch a ball while standing in the end zone on Sunday, hoping to score a touchdown.  Instead, the ball slipped out of his hands, resulting in his team losing the game.  The next day, he ranted and raved at-- guess who?-- God!  This football player decided to blame God for causing him to drop the ball during that game.  He even went on to accuse God of greedily accepting his praise everyday, then letting him down when it mattered the most.

Are you really serious?   You've got to be kidding me!  Anyone who is halfway familiar with God's ways knows that He doesn't raise our hopes just to dash them to the ground again because it amuses him.  One sports announcer even took the liberty of responding the way he thought God would've in these words: "I put the ball right in Your hand, stupid.  You're the one who let the ball drop! ". Which leads me to ask this question: who's really doing the ball-dropping in this relationship?

I don't even have to prove to you Lifers why our God is the most reliable Person Who ever existed.  Even knowing before the foundation of the world how unfaithful we would be,  He still created and placed us in His garden.  By the time man fell (ball-dropping event number one out of countless others), He'd already figured a way to redeem us because of His great love for us.    What hasn't He already done to show us His love is real?  

But before we spend too much time criticizing this man, it occurs to me that we, too, have a habit of praying for the impossible, then not seeing it through.  Whether out of fear of failure --which means we don't really trust His Word in the first place-- we freeze and give up before we even begin.  Blaming God is very easy because it frees us from the accountability of applying our faith with works.  That player didn't want to own up to what He failed to do, so He just strung a group of words together.  But everything about God says, "Prove me.  Do YOUR part, and I am more than able to fulfill mine.". Unfortunately, my friend the football player may never read this.  But I nevertheless stand upon the INFALLIBILITY of God no matter WHERE on the playing field we happen to be standing.

Prayer: Father, You've NEVER let me down no matter how hard the situation may be.  I take another opportunity to receive the promise You made to me.  You know exactly what You're doing.  And when I make the lifelong decision to serve You EVEN through disappointments, I'll never BE disappointed.  Because I have the eternal promise of YOU.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.