Yesterday, I realized March Madness was here and I had not even considered a bracket for the tournament. I quickly took about 5 minutes to pick some teams on the “I like” system rather than any sort of analysis or fact checking. Somehow I don’t expect to do very well! It always intrigues me how obsessed many people get with this tournament (myself included some years). It can be exciting and consuming as people wait and watch the results of all 63 games and figure out who made the best predictions. Our heads can end up looking like the cartoon because basketball is on the brain. In the end though, nothing changes. It just didn’t matter. My relationship with God is not any better, nor my relationship with my wife or children.
Now I’m not bashing sports or the enjoyment of sports – especially not with baseball starting up – but I’m reflecting on what would be on the brain of a man of the sword. A man devoted to God’s Word would have scripture on the brain. Maybe we could make 63 picks of what verses will apply to life in the next 63 days and see who gets the most right! Seriously though, a man of the sword will see the Bible as part of everyday life and not just an exercise on Sunday. Perhaps as you read that, your thoughts immediately go to frustration over not having a regular enough or long enough quiet time. While I firmly recommend a regular time in the Word, that’s not where I’m going with this. I’m challenged that since we as men are so compartmentalized, integrating the Bible into life is so much more than 30 minutes in the morning! We could close our Bibles, check off that task and not give it another thought. Not Helpful! When the Bible is part of everyday life, we will continually be thinking things like, “What does the Bible say about this decision?” or “This reminds of this verse.” Maybe we can relate a situation we find ourselves in to a character or story in the Bible or think of a verse that helps us calm our anger and pride. It is these little second-by-second thoughts that make the Bible part of life and that satisfy our real needs each day. Yet we pursue things that don’t matter.
Men, we can so easily seek after so many things to try to satisfy our desires each day. Things that help us feel strong, successful, and like winners. Often those things control us and are the basketball on our head. Maybe it’s work, sports, or TV. Young men, maybe you are trying to fill holes through video games. God speaks to empty pursuits in Isaiah 55:1-3 as He offers true satisfaction in His Words and His Covenant.
Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.
What are you spending your “money” on? In this case, money is not cash, but our thoughts, energies, and pursuits. What would our families say we spend our energy on? God says, “Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live“! May we have our heads full of scripture.
How do we do this? This week, I challenge you to keep asking the question throughout the day, “What does the Bible say about this?” Then go home and at least once a day mention to either your wife or children, “When this happened today, it reminded me of this verse. . .” Several things happen when we do this!
- We are training our minds to focus on God’s life giving Words. You may even have to look up verses because you can’t think of any. That’s part of training!
- Our families see that God is actually important to us. It is expected on Sunday, but it makes an impact on “normal” days.
- Our children learn that the Bible is relevant to real life. This is taught and caught. Genuine talk of how you apply God’s Word in your own life will teach your children godliness more than any lecture.
- You will sin less. (Psalm 119:9-11)
- You are showing spiritual leadership in your home!
So, what in life today reminded you of a verse! As men of the sword, let’s get into the habit by sharing with each other. If you are reading the blog, comment below with a verse that came to mind today. If you are reading an email, reply with a verse and we will combine them all. Let’s encourage each other to be men who incorporate God’s Word into every moment. I look forward to hearing your verses.
Pastor Ron
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“Men are in a restless pursuit after satisfaction in earthly things. They will exhaust themselves in the deceitful delights of sin, and, finding them all to be vanity and emptiness, they will become very perplexed and disappointed. But they will continue their fruitless search. Though wearied, they still stagger forward under the influence of spiritual madness, and though there is no result to be reached except that of everlasting disappointment, yet they press forward. They have no forethought for their eternal state; the present hour absorbs them. They turn to another and another of earth’s broken cisterns, hoping to find water where not a drop was ever discovered yet.”
-Charles Spurgeon
Jer. 2:13 for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.
Celebrating the start of baseball season may not be a post you would expect to see in our blog, but I sure am looking forward to this season! Allow me to indulge in some thoughts about baseball. As I was thinking about different players in the news for all the wrong reasons, I also was thinking of those that have brought glor
y to God through the talents God has given them. While not wanting to put these men on a pedestal, I am thankful when they stand up for our Lord and Savior and show that they are truly brothers in Christ. I am encouraged by the stand 1st baseman Albert Pujols has taken for Christ. Many players have arrived at 1st base during a game only to be asked, “If you were to die tonight, where do you think you would go?” Imagine being that player! I am challenged that I need to be bolder for Christ.
