Basketball and Psalm 23

Lately, I have been captivated by Psalm 23.  


Also, I have to admit to being captivated by my hometown Murray State Racer basketball team.  GO RACERS!


 I have just sat here tonight and watched them win their 22nd game in a row.  They are the only unbeaten team in college basketball and are the ninth ranked team in the country!   Yes, Murray State!


The one thing that really jumped out at me tonight is how fearlessly these guys play.  They don't get rattled and nothing seems to scare them (even to be down by 11 points).   The commentators even talked about this very thing as the game was winding down to the end.  


They said that people will have to start believing in this team because they play with no fear.   


That got me to thinking about what David says in verse 4 of Psalm 23 "I fear no evil..."  How could David say he feared nothing? 


Because "You are with me..."   See, David could say that because of what he said in verse 1...


"The LORD is My Shepherd" and for that reason he did not fear.    Do we live fearless lives? 


Satan wants to keep us in fear and most people live their lives ... how else can I say it, but just plain scared.  But if the Shepherd is truly our Lord, what do we have to fear?


I believe if we start living fearless lives, then others will start to believe in the God of the universe.  


Right now we just look like the rest of the world as we let fear control our lives.  When was the last time people were blown away by your boldness and your example of fearlessness?


"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff they comfort me".  (Psalm 23:4)


I am so thankful that God uses the simple things in life and makes them profound, like a group of young men led by a coach with tremendous character that have won 22 games in a row, to teach me that others will start to believe if I will live a fearless life.


"The LORD is My Shepherd"

Lion on a snowy day

"Then Benaiah the son of  Jehoida, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel who had done mighty deeds, killed the two sons of Ariel of Moab.  He also went down and killed a lion in the middle of a pit on a snowy day"  ( 2 Samuel 23:20)

Have you ever seen this tucked away verse in 2 Samuel? 


It was brought to my attention recently and I have spent some time reflecting on it.  It says he "went down" which means it was a choice….it doesn't say he was thrown into the pit.  That tells me that he was a man who would not try and avoid the "lions" in his life but would go down in the pit and face them.   


I think that would require an immense amount of faith and authority.  I'm sure he felt some fear, I am sure he had to be unsure of his future but he did it anyway.  I have personally faced "a lion" in the past few weeks and after reading this verse I realize that GOD has gone before me into the pit on a snowy day to face this lion….there are two sets of footprints in the snow…the lion and HIS and only one will come out of that pit and it is THE GREATEST WARRIOR known to man.  I challenge you to trust HIM as you come across your lions in the pit on a snowy day!!