Monday Morning Devotion-July 13, 2020
Two Good Moves
And a voice from heaven said: "This is my beloved Son, and I am fully pleased with him. Matthew 3:17
* Reprinted from 14 years ago---May 22, 2006!
Joel Osteen tells this story about the time that his Dad, the founding pastor of the Lakewood mega-church in Houston, Texas, went to a high school football game with his friend, Jesse. They were especially interested in watching the performance of a defensive player by the name of Jeff, who was Jesse's son.
Playing on defense Jeff rarely got an opportunity to touch the football. But, on one particular play, when the other team was in punt formation, the punter kicked a short punt and Osteen describes what happened in his best-selling book "Your Best Life Now."
"Jeff ran over, caught the ball, took a half step to his right and a half step back to his left, his eyes darting in every direction, searching for some daylight. But there was no running room to be found. Just then, about ten guys from the opposing team clobbered him. I mean, he didn't advance the ball one inch.
For a long, awkward moment, Daddy sat silently staring out at the field as the referee untangled the pile of players climbing off Jeff. Daddy was feeling bad for Jesse, and he was trying to think of something good to say, but the play had been a disaster. Even Daddy couldn't come up with anything positive. About that time Jesse punched Daddy in the ribs. He had a big smile on his face as he nodded toward the field where Jeff was just getting to his feet. Jesse said, 'Pastor, did you see those two good moves?' Only a loving father could see his son's two good moves, rather than the fact that his son just got tackled by everybody, but the cheerleaders."
Isn't that a great story? It brings back memories of my Dad. I could give up 19 hits pitching in a game, have nothing on the ball, and he would talk about the one batter I struck out. I could shoot 25 over par when we played a round of golf. My swing could have been a disaster that day and he would compliment me on the four-foot putt I made to save par on the third hole. That's what he would remember most about my round selectively choosing to forget all the hooks, slices, and worm-burners I hit. When, he passed away in 1999, I lost my best friend.
There is no substitute for a parent's love. It is special. All who have loving parents are greatly blessed. And all of us are blessed to have a Heavenly Father who feels that way about us. He loves us and sees all the good in us. We can have a lousy day; a miserable week and God chooses to see our two good moves. After all nobody messes up everything. There is some good, some silver lining that comes out of every event. God dwells on that.
Osteen says, "°that's the way our heavenly Father looks at us. He's not dwelling on the times we get knocked down. He's not dwelling on our faults. No, God sees our two good moves. God focuses on the things you're doing right; He sees the best in you."
Isn't that great news? When someone has that much confidence in you and is pulling for you to do well, it makes you want to be sure you don't let them down.
In learning about stock options, I came across the term intrinsic value. The difference between the value of the option and the value of the stock represents its intrinsic value. So, the intrinsic value is that value that is within the price of the stock. The value outside of the stock price would be considered extrinsic value.
Osteen says to see yourself the way God does you have to understand your "intrinsic sense of value." Too often we let our failures, frustrations, and weaknesses take center stage. We dwell on those. We forget about the two good moves we made. God doesn't. He knows you have even more good moves in you. It is just a matter of focus.
When Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, his Heavenly Father said that he was well pleased with Him. This was at the beginning of His ministry. With the baptism, which showed He was committing His work to His Heavenly Father and He was going about things the right way. And this was being acknowledged from above.
Wouldn't that be a fantastic thing to have God say about you? This is my son, or my daughter and I am well pleased with him/her? Well, He does say that about you. Whenever you take the path of integrity and are honest in your work and other areas of your life, even though a less honest shortcut would be tempting, He is well pleased.
Whenever you reach out to lend a helping hand to someone God is pleased. When you give thanks for all He blesses you with; your health; your family; your job; and your financial well-being, God is pleased with you.
You wouldn't buy a stock or stock option without perceiving value in the company. Likewise, you have this intrinsic value built in because it was put there by God when He created you. We didn't earn this value, it came with the territory. Stocks can go up and down in value. But, our intrinsic value to God is always the same.
He doesn't condone everything we do, because let's face it, we make mistakes. Abraham, Noah, David all the great Bible heroes fell short of God's hopes for them. But they honored him with their lives, and He blessed them for that.
God isn't finished with us yet. We can look back at where we were and see where we are today and know that we have come a long way, but we have further to go still. We don't need to get down when we make mistakes. He is still working with us. He is in the process of changing us daily. Thanks be to God for that. We may be getting older, but we are getting better, too. We are developing more than two good moves.
Monday Prayer: Thank you Lord for praising our two good moves and entrusting us with the opportunity to enlarge on those. May our thoughts and deeds honor you and be in line with your wonderful plan for our lives. Amen!