Ready:
“Acknowledge that the Lord is God. He made us, and we are his—his people, the sheep of his pasture.” – Psalm 100:3
Set:
We all have a desire to belong. When you first join a team, maybe you wonder if your new teammates would see you as an “outsider” or accept you as “one of us.” In all types of settings—sports, academic, professional, social—we evaluate whether we belong or not. How amazing, then, that Psalm 100:3 offers us the assurance that we can experience belonging in the most important sense: “He made us, and we are his—his people, the sheep of his pasture.”
How does this opportunity to belong become reality for us? “Acknowledge that the Lord is God.” To “acknowledge” means more than “agree with.” It’s to trust and follow the Lord as God over the entirety of our life. When we do so, we are welcomed by Him into His family, His people, His flock.
Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep… I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me” (John 10:11, 14). Jesus, the good shepherd, reconciles us to God through His sacrificial death on the cross for our sins. When we respond in faith to Christ and what He’s done for us, we are welcomed into our Savior’s flock. Jesus has come so we can know Him personally and relationally. The Lord wants us to have the security of knowing we belong to Him.
The culture around you is constantly telling you who you need to be or what you need to do if you want to be accepted. This can happen in the sports world as well. But listen instead to what the God who made you and loves you says. Put your confidence in what Jesus, the good shepherd, has done for you. When you trust and follow the Lord as God, you are welcomed by Him into His family. Jesus knows you and you know Him. You belong.
Go:
How does looking to something other than God to try to satisfy the desire to belong lead to problems or pain?
When you are secure in belonging to the Lord, what difference does this make as an athlete or coach?
Workout:
Overtime:
“Lord, I praise You because You are God. I praise You because You made me and You love me. Thank You that through faith, I belong to You. I pray that I would compete and live for You. In Jesus’ name, amen.”