Daily Devotional for February 19, 2018
As the Ball Bounces
Trey faked to the right, then quickly changed directions and drove
to the basket for another score. “That makes it 12-2, Dad,” he said,
trying not to smile.
Dad shook his head, breathing heavily. “I remember when the only time you ever beat me was when I let you win. I miss those days.” He put his hands on his knees. “You look tired. Let’s take a break.”
Trey nodded, even though he was barely breaking a sweat. The two of them sat down under a tree.
“How’s everything going at school?” Dad asked.
Trey shrugged. “Okay, I guess.”
“Mom says you’ve been having trouble in some of your classes,” said Dad.
Trey frowned and took a drink of water. “I guess I’ve been slacking off a bit. But Mrs. Duncan is always on my case, and Mr. Lincoln is out to get me too. They’re always making a big deal out of little things.”
Dad put down his water bottle. “I know you don’t think these so-called ‘little things’ are important, but they are. It’s like this basketball.” He held up the leather ball, and Trey wondered where this conversation was going.
“These balls don’t last forever,” said Dad. “The company that makes them has even figured out how many times you can bounce them before they need to be replaced. Teams use these balls for practices and games, and before they know it, the basketballs are worn out. It’s kind of like life. We make a lot of choices in life—some good, some bad. And like bounces of a ball, we don’t think one or two decisions really matter in the long run. But take it from a guy who used to play basketball for hours and not get tired—life is short. And as Christians, we’ve given our lives—our whole lives—to Jesus. We need to rely on Him to help us make the right choices in everything we do, even in little things.”
“I understand, Dad,” Trey said. “I’ll ask Him to help me do better at school.”
Dad slapped Trey on the back. “All right. What do you say we put a few more bounces on this ball before dinner? I haven’t shown you my patented spin move or hook shot yet!” – Mike Dize
How about you?
Did you know that every choice you make—even a small one—is important? It’s easy to think something like not doing your best at school or gossiping behind a friend’s back doesn’t really matter all that much. But life is short, and every choice is important. Make choices based on who you are in Jesus and rely on Him to help you do what’s right, whether big or small.
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