Monday Morning Devotion-June 6, 2022
The Champion's Way
But Moses told the people. "Don’t be afraid. Just stand where you are and watch the Lord rescue you. The Egyptians that you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you. You won’t have to lift a finger in your defense." Then the Lord said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving." Exodus 14:13-15
It’s that time of year for sports fans when you hope your favorite team will win a championship. When all is said and done all athletes and fans want to be called champions. With that in mind and the fact that I just got back from a vacation trip to Oregon (BTW that’s 2,400 miles from home) and while I was gone one of my favorite teams did not play like champions, I decided to take another look at a devotion I shared a year ago to see what constitutes being a real champion.
*reprint from June 7, 2021
Recently I finished reading a book about all-time great golfer Jack Nicklaus. It was written by his oldest son, Jack Nicklaus II in collaboration with my good friend 11-time best-selling author Don Yaeger.
There were many lessons to learn in that book Best Seat in the House. And despite the fact that Nicklaus is a World Golf Hall of Fame member who won 78 golf tournaments including six Masters, four U. S. Opens, three British Opens, and five PGA championships the main lessons in the book are not about golf. Equally, if not more impressive, were the examples of how Nicklaus lives his life and conducts himself on and off the golf course.
My favorite chapter in the book was entitled: ‘Act Like a Champion’. In this chapter Nicklaus II writes: "In both actions and words, Dad has had a great ability to see the bigger picture throughout his life and career. He has always understood how things would affect him, the people around him and his competitors."
There was a situation in Ryder Cup competition (between the United States and Great Britain) where it came down to the final hole. Nicklaus and rising young British star Tony Jacklin both had par putts remaining. Jacklin’s put was a four-footer and Jack’s was two-and-a-half feet. The Americans were the reigning champions so all they needed was a tie to retain the Ryder Cup title.
If Jack sank his putt, they would tie the match but remain champions. If Jacklin missed his putt the Americans would be outright champs. Nicklaus sank his putt, then to astonishment of everyone, in what came to be known as "The Great Concession," he picked up Jacklin’s ball, i.e. he conceded (gave) Tony the putt and the match ended up tied but the Americans remained champions.
Nicklaus II writes: "Dad thought if Tony somehow missed the putt, he would have been criticized forever. Dad decided in those few precious seconds not to give Tony an opportunity to miss." He acted like a champion.
Later in the chapter the author further explains the Nicklaus way of acting like a champion. "Make no mistake, Dad wanted to be sure I understood that acting like a champion was about the way you carried yourself not just on the golf course but also in life. It is the way you project yourself to others, the belief you have in yourself, and the discipline you show in moments both good and bad. This was a life lesson. If you live your life as a champion, you could handle the criticism and the praise without being affected by either."
Another friend of mine who always knew how to act like a champion was Florida State Seminole baseball coach, Mike Martin. Mike retired in 2019 after 40 years as head coach with the unbelievable number of all-time wins---2,029. It is a record that is highly unlikely to ever be broken. (See my book: “11: Making Baseball History”)
Once when FSU was playing in the College World Series (they went to the CWS 17 times under Martin) he responded to a text from a fan that wished him good luck in the series by saying. "Exodus 14:14. Letting God fight for me."
As the Israelites were racing to get away from Pharoah and his huge Egyptian army and they were on the verge of total panic, Moses told them not to worry. He said that God would win the battle for them and would obliterate their enemy.
In the meantime, the Lord told Moses basically to quit praying and get moving. In other words, He was saying: "I’ve got this, but you have to do your part. Do not stand there trembling and panic-stricken. Get a move on."
They did and God did. He caused the entire Egyptian army to be swallowed up in a tidal wave of water after the Israelites had passed by on the floor of the sea on dry ground.
The Life Application Bible commentary on this says: "The Lord told Moses to stop praying and get moving! Prayer must have a vital place in our lives, but there is also a place for action. Sometimes we know what to do, but we pray for more guidance as an excuse to postpone doing it. If we know what we should do, then it is time to get moving." This is the time in which we act like a champion.
Obviously, we are not going to win every battle even though the Lord will fight for us. Sometimes the victory looks different from what we expected but it is still a victory.
Mike Martin never won a College World Series. But he did win more games than any coach who ever coached the game. His faith brought him through each win and each defeat because he knew God was fighting for him. Consequently, the College Baseball Hall of Fame has named its annual coach of the year award: The Mike Martin Coach of the Year Award.
That is what happens when you realize that God is fighting for you, and you focus on doing your part. It is what happens when you act like a champion.
Prayer: Lord, we know that you are always fighting for us and that enables us to act like a champion. Amen!