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"Solomon's
Treasure Hunt"
...for the Rules of Life" |
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"Solomon's
Treasure Hunt"
...for the Rules of Life" |
|
Ok kids... Who likes rules? (boo, hiss)
What are some basketball rules? (Can you name any? How many? Which ones are most important?
Close your eyes and imagine a bball game without rules. Neat huh !!!
Or would it turn ugly? Someone get hurt? What if there were no rules to how old or big you could be and still play on your team? How would you like that? Push, shove, hurt people? Not so neat, huh. Hey, what if they could even run over to the scorer's table and punch up some additional points without even making baskets?
What's the most important rule of bball? Honor the main authority of the game -- the referee. If you defy the referee again and again, you most certainly will be kicked completely out of the game and the gymnasium.
What's his rule that says who wins the game? (Either you get the higher score, or you don't.)
And is that important? What if you thought the objective was to just "play the best you can"? So you dribbled great, and passed back and forth very unselfishly. And you all laughed and enjoyed each other through the whole game, thinking you surely were going to win by your conduct. And what if the referee tried to tell you that there was one very primary rule you were overlooking? But you refused to listen, and in the end, you'll lose, no matter what you thought... simply because you didn't bother to find out what it takes to win ultimately.
But HEY, if that's true...
How do you win at life? And who's rule is really the only one that counts? Who's our ultimate authority that we need to honor and to search out in order to find His rule of life?
God.
The richest and wisest king that ever lived -- King Solomon -- lived a great life, did he not? And yet even he made regretable mistakes during his life. But in the final analysis, here's some of the things he wrote.
In the final chapter of Ecclesiastes, he concluded...
"Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man."
So let God be God. And let Him tell you what is most important to win at life. And what is that?
"...to believe in the One He has sent." (John 6:29)
But does that just mean BELIEVING ABOUT Jesus? No. Otherwise, even the demons could go to heaven because they recognized Jesus as the Son of God. So "believing" here means BELIEVING IN someone so totally that you TRUST your entire life in His hands. Imagine, moving over and letting someone else drive your car, or drive your life. That's really believing in them.
And what are we trusting Jesus for? We're trusting that He indeed is God himself, come down in the form of a man, died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins, and rose again to demonstrate his power & authority over life, death & sin. We're trusting that all his rules for life & death are the only ones that count. And we then should try to learn more & more about God and His good ways for us.
Solomon also wrote...
"Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost you all you have, get understanding." (Prov. 4:7)
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." (Prov. 9:10)
And here's what I call "Solomon's Treasure Hunt" for us to go on...
"My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding." (Prov. 2:1-6)
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." (Prov. 3:5-6)
And finally, Jesus said...
"For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" (Mark 8:36)
The Rules of Life are important.
Go on a treasure hunt.
Find wisdom.
Find Jesus.
And then find the abundant life He has for you,
here, and in the life to come.
"Solomon's
Treasure Hunt"
...for the Rules
of Life
By NeilCox.com, "Coach" at
Goal-Partners.com
These and
other rules are taught at Indiana Basketball Academy
Tom Abernethy, Owner (Former IU / Pacers Player)
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2000
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