The 138th British Open Golf Championship drew to an amazing end today.
The Championship, one of the 4 majors in golf, is the equivalent of Wimbledon in tennis. 73 top golfers from around the world battled it out over 4 days on the link course at Turnberry, Scotland. Not only was the course layout, which is littered with sand bunkers, challenging. Players also had to contend with 20mph wind most of the time. Severe rough that lines the fairway added to the
difficulties.
59 year old five-time winner Tom Watson almost had a fairy tale win before he bogeyed the last hole, ending in a play-off with fellow countryman Stewart Cink, who eventually won.
The Championship, one of the 4 majors in golf, is the equivalent of Wimbledon in tennis. 73 top golfers from around the world battled it out over 4 days on the link course at Turnberry, Scotland. Not only was the course layout, which is littered with sand bunkers, challenging. Players also had to contend with 20mph wind most of the time. Severe rough that lines the fairway added to the
difficulties.59 year old five-time winner Tom Watson almost had a fairy tale win before he bogeyed the last hole, ending in a play-off with fellow countryman Stewart Cink, who eventually won.
Cink was regarded as one of the outsiders for the Championship this week as the world number 33 had previously claimed only one top-10 finish at the British Open while having just five wins in his entire career. But he showed gritty deter
mination on the final day to secure an unlikely victory on Sunday evening.
"I'm a little intimidated by this piece of hardware," said Cink upon receiving the Claret Jug (the British Open trophy). "There are a lot of emotions running through my mind and my heart and I'm just proud to be here with this." He went on to thank his family and his wife, who brought him to faith in Jesus and he gave glory to God for the win.
It always blesses my heart to see a top sports person dedicating his or her win to ones Christian faith and to God. It is a great testimony and a great example for us to follow, giving glory to God for all our successes in life.
Indeed it is God who can grant us success in what we do. It is God who withholds or releases blessings as we deserve. We need to continue to cry out to God and seek His forgiveness of the sins of those who have gone before us, and we will see the fortunes of nations being turned around. We will see God’s blessings in those nations who repent. “Do not hold against us the sins of the fathers; may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need. Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name's sake. Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?" Before our eyes, make known among the nations……..Pay back into the laps of our neighbors seven times the reproach they have hurled at you, O Lord. Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will praise you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise. [Ps 79:8-13 NIV]
God is sovereign. He can bring down and establish kingdoms. He can use a child to lead a nation that honours Him. God used Jehoiada, a high priest of Judah, to establish the kingship of Joash, a 7 year old. But the people must turn away from worshipping idols and worship only the true God “In the seventh year Jehoiada sent for the commanders of units of a hundred, the Carites and the guards and had them brought to him at the temple of the LORD. He made a covenant with them and put them under oath at the temple of the LORD. Then he showed them the king's son….. Jehoiada then made a covenant between the LORD and the king and people that they would be the LORD's people. He also made a covenant between the king and the people. All the people of the land went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols to pieces and killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars. Then Jehoiada the priest posted guards at the temple of the LORD. He took with him the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, the guards and all the people of the land, and together they brought the king down from the temple of the LORD and went into the palace, entering by way of the gate of the guards. The king then took his place on the royal throne, and all the people of the land rejoiced. And the city was quiet, because Athaliah had been slain with the sword at the palace. Joash was seven years old when he began to reign. [II Ki 11:1-2,4,15-21 NIV]
If God can turn a sinner like Paul (known as Saul), who persecuted many Christians before his met God on the road to Damascus, into one of the great apostles, God can do great things through any of us. “Saul….went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."…For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything. [Acts 9:1-16 NIV]
God is no respecter of mockers, who are many in the world today. Let us be wise instead, because “Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning. ‘The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For through me your days will be many, and years will be added to your life. If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer.’" [Prov 9:9-12 NIV]
Amen!
mination on the final day to secure an unlikely victory on Sunday evening."I'm a little intimidated by this piece of hardware," said Cink upon receiving the Claret Jug (the British Open trophy). "There are a lot of emotions running through my mind and my heart and I'm just proud to be here with this." He went on to thank his family and his wife, who brought him to faith in Jesus and he gave glory to God for the win.
It always blesses my heart to see a top sports person dedicating his or her win to ones Christian faith and to God. It is a great testimony and a great example for us to follow, giving glory to God for all our successes in life.
Indeed it is God who can grant us success in what we do. It is God who withholds or releases blessings as we deserve. We need to continue to cry out to God and seek His forgiveness of the sins of those who have gone before us, and we will see the fortunes of nations being turned around. We will see God’s blessings in those nations who repent. “Do not hold against us the sins of the fathers; may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need. Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name's sake. Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?" Before our eyes, make known among the nations……..Pay back into the laps of our neighbors seven times the reproach they have hurled at you, O Lord. Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will praise you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise. [Ps 79:8-13 NIV]
God is sovereign. He can bring down and establish kingdoms. He can use a child to lead a nation that honours Him. God used Jehoiada, a high priest of Judah, to establish the kingship of Joash, a 7 year old. But the people must turn away from worshipping idols and worship only the true God “In the seventh year Jehoiada sent for the commanders of units of a hundred, the Carites and the guards and had them brought to him at the temple of the LORD. He made a covenant with them and put them under oath at the temple of the LORD. Then he showed them the king's son….. Jehoiada then made a covenant between the LORD and the king and people that they would be the LORD's people. He also made a covenant between the king and the people. All the people of the land went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols to pieces and killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars. Then Jehoiada the priest posted guards at the temple of the LORD. He took with him the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, the guards and all the people of the land, and together they brought the king down from the temple of the LORD and went into the palace, entering by way of the gate of the guards. The king then took his place on the royal throne, and all the people of the land rejoiced. And the city was quiet, because Athaliah had been slain with the sword at the palace. Joash was seven years old when he began to reign. [II Ki 11:1-2,4,15-21 NIV]
If God can turn a sinner like Paul (known as Saul), who persecuted many Christians before his met God on the road to Damascus, into one of the great apostles, God can do great things through any of us. “Saul….went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."…For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything. [Acts 9:1-16 NIV]
God is no respecter of mockers, who are many in the world today. Let us be wise instead, because “Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning. ‘The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For through me your days will be many, and years will be added to your life. If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer.’" [Prov 9:9-12 NIV]
Amen!
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