June 5

Deuteronomy 9 Believe it or not, I played football in high school. I wasn’t any good, but I was on the team. I was too light and weak to be a lineman and too slow to be a back or a receiver. For some reason I was placed on the line. As a sophomore I was 135 pounds. As a junior I was 145 pounds. As a sophomore and junior, I never suited up for a game. My senior year I soared up to weighing 165 pounds and bench pressing 240 pounds for the playing season, not very big or strong for a lineman. I actually started two games early in the season my senior year, but alas, my performance was so poor that the coach quickly pulled me out. Before the last game of the season, our nose guard had a slight injury. The coach decided to take a chance on me one last time. I was tapped to start at nose guard. I would be playing opposite guys whose average weight was around 200 pounds. We were playing the #10 ranked team in the state. Going into the game we had a win/loss record of 4/5. I wanted nothing more than to go out with a bang. All week long, I asked the Lord to allow me to play the absolute best that I could in order to bring glory to His name. The first play of the game I sacked the quarterback. They ran three plays and punted. I had two other unassisted tackles during the game and a couple of other assisted tackles. By the end of the game they had negative running yardage in the middle of the field. They did have one play where they made yardage up the middle. It was a screen pass. I tripped and fell. As I was getting up, I looked and saw their back standing next to me receiving a lobbed pass. It is difficult to tackle someone when you are getting up and have no momentum. So I wrapped my arms around his waist as I was trying to get up. He drug me along for a couple of yards. To this day when my mom relates my football experience, that is the one which she tells about. But that was the only play of the game where they made yardage up the middle. Every time I came off the field, I was greeted with, “Wow, Chaffin! You’re doing great” With each compliment I replied, “Praise the Lord!” How is it that a crummy player like myself could outplay guys who were some of the best in the state and were 20% larger than me? There is only one answer. The Lord permitted it so that I could speak glory to His name. How is it that we can stand up to giants who are great and tall, about whom it has been said, “Who can stand before them?” The Lord wanted the Israelites to go up against the giants so that they would realize experientially that through Him we can destroy all of His enemies. What giant is there in our way that is keeping us from performing the purposes of God? The Lord permits those giants to come into our lives in order to help us learn experientially that He will empower us to overcome! As a consuming fire, He burns away every obstacle which keeps us from experiencing His kingdom! But like the children of Israel we must act in faith and obedience. When we do, His glory is seen. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today! --Pastor john