Quail Lake Community Church

Daily Devotional #1,737

I had resisted as long as I could. And then finally yesterday I gave in. I played my first game of Pickleball! I  have heard lots of folks who love the game and some of my friends encouraged me to join them. I got enough  of the rules to actually play and I started getting used to the difference between a wiffle ball and a tennis balls  travel and bounce. My partner and I were playing against two much younger ladies and they hit one that just  
landed in play on my right side. It passed me and I should of let it go, but… I lunged for it and my feet got  tangled up and I hit the concrete hard! I was trying to show off and I ended up sprawled out and pretty  embarrassed. I had some options…I could just say that I was hurt and couldn’t play or I could swallow my  pride and get up and get back to really learning how to play this game. I got up and I played and I loved it! I  thought about that whole situation afterwards and realized that same kind of choice faces all of us. Especially  those who are following this Jesus of the Bible. We have come to know his forgiveness and have new power to  do the right thing in life…and so often we find ourselves failing. We trip up in life and our choice is to just  give up and give in, or to get up, ask for forgiveness and get going again. We do dumb things and make bad  choices, but God loves us and wants us to keep going. So when you fail, never believe the lie that you cannot  get up and start again. No matter how small or large your experience of “tripping up” is, you fail only when  you quit. Remember that God will not quit on you…don’t you quit on you. And most of all don’t give up on  the wonderful and boundless grace and forgiveness of God. Get up, get back in the game and as I  learned…keep your eye on the ball! Here’s our Bible verse for today,,,  
Proverbs 24:16 NLT The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to  overthrow the wicked.  
Remember I’m praying for you!  
With love, PJ