Re-apply your cross

This devotion was written in October of 2014: Today was my last golf tournament of my golf career, outside of the state series. For my entire golf career, I have always marked my golf ball (to differentiate and identify) with a pink cross and a Bible verse. It's to remind me that I don't play for my own purposes, I play for His purposes.

Today was a really tough, cold round of golf. Every hole seemed to bring it's own unique, frustrating challenges. And I kept getting easily distracted from the main reason I was playing, and just getting too wrapped up in the game. The more caught up in it I got, the worse I played. At one point, I was teeing up my ball, and an overwhelming peace came over me. And God directed my attention back to the cross on my ball. It was very faint from the mud, wet course and just from use. But It was still there. That's how life seems to be... Life takes over our minds and occupies every thought, and covers us with mud and wear. The more we rely on ourselves, the tougher the time we have, and the more faint our cross becomes. And then in our most desperate times...God shows Himself in a way He knows we will recognize. He reminded me of the cross on my ball and covered me in His overwhelming peace. From the tough times we face in life, we get marked up, and used, and worn...and our cross may fade, and our ability to recognize God may tend fade. But He is always there, He will never fully fade away. The time we spend with God is like reapplying the sharpie on the ball, reapplying His cross. It is preparing us for times of struggle and the times of rejoicing. The less time we spend with God, the more the sharpie seems to fade. And the harder it is to see Him. God has the capacity to fill our mind, hearts, and entire beings with His Spirit, spend time with Him, reapply your cross. You are here for His purposes, not your own. "Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live." John 14:19 "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can NEVER perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time." 1 Peter 1:3-5 "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me." Luke 9:23 "We are under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure...but this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead...on Him we have set our hope." 2 Corinthians 1:8,9,10