Some of my earliest childhood memories revolve around sports.  Yes, these memories include game day glory (or at least aspirations of glory), but to be honest, the more frequent memories that come to mind are quite mundane and ordinary.  Inspired by the great Peter “Pistol Pete” Maravich, I remember lying in bed for what seemed like hours, practicing my basketball shot.  I remember bouncing a ball off the side of our house over, and over, and over again.  It is these moments – the driveway layups or game of catch with my dad – that made a lasting impression.  And in fact, without the daily commitment to develop and refine these skills, game day success would have been even more elusive and unlikely!  While this is true of athletic pursuits, it is also true of our spiritual formation and health. 

 

It is hard to accept the gift of salvation when we keep trying to help God provide it.  Psalm 51 (vs. 1-19) is thought to be a Psalm of David, written when his adulterous affair with Bathsheba was exposed by God’s prophet, Nathan.  Only God could restore the relationship broken by David’s sin.  As David laid bare his heart and soul, he said to God: 

 

 

Satan afflicts believers.  Don’t underestimate him.  He’s not an imp in red tights with a pitchfork.  But don’t give him more credit than he’s due.  Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:7 said, “A messenger of Satan was given me to afflict me.”  And as the above passage shows, Satan was behind Jobs’ suffering.  The enemy can afflict us physically.  He tempts us to sin.  But his greatest weapons are his fiery darts – his lies about God that he launches against our faith.  We are in a serious conflict with the powers of darkness.