"My Heart's Desire For Tiger"

I'm sure that by now everyone has heard of legendary golfer Tiger Woods's serious car accident yesterday. Thank God his LIFE was spared, because he does not yet appear to be ready to stand before the Lord with sins forgiven. But, for Tiger, at THIS point in time Golfing IS his life and livelihood. He's now suffered serious LEG injuries to go with his serious BACK problems and, assuming he lives, which looks likely, he may never golf again. Very sad.

I'm hoping he DOES live, I'm hoping Tiger DOES return to Golf and eventually win his 19th Masters, fulfilling his dream and passing Jack Nicklaus for the coveted title "Greatest of All Time" ("G.O.A.T.," they call it now). I'm hoping Tiger recovers and reaches new heights in his sport but ONLY...ONLY if this crushing setback is used of God to turn his heart to SEEKING THE LORD WHILE HE MAY BE FOUND, CALLING UPON HIM WHILE HE IS NEAR. 

I am not a Golf fan but I want to see Tiger saved and golfing for GOD'S glory...not his own glory. I want to see him Golfing for the GOSPEL in the sense that his achievements give him a platform to make Christ known to millions!! "What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul," Jesus asked. You see, more important than ANY temporal and temporary honors any of us can receive, is to know that we're serving GOD now (not ourselves and OUR fading "glory") and that we're heading to Heaven, not Hell, when we die or when Jesus returns.

In Psalm 119:67, David, "the man after God's own heart," says "Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your Word." Sometimes God uses physical afflictions to call us to Himself or to RETURN us to Himself (if we already know Him in a saving way.) Last week (Feb. 16th blog), I wrote about Gospel singer MERRY CLAYTON who lost both of her legs in a car accident several years ago. She had not recorded a Gospel album of new songs since the mid 1990s, but SINCE the accident (and a few years of RECOVERY), Merry is coming out with a NEW Gospel album this Spring, and I can't wait!! Is HER testimony the same as King David's...was SHE "going astray" and that's why God allowed "affliction" to "call her back"?? Hmmmmmm....I don't know if it's MERRY'S testimony, she has not said, but it sure was DAVID'S testimony because he DID say it.  And if Tiger Woods winds up having HIS legs amputated because of HIS car accident, I pray that HE will be like Merry...praising God for salvation, and serving Christ any way HE can.

Tiger has to get SAVED first, and I pray for him. Through this TERRIBLE accident, Lord, may Tiger see it is better to be one of your sheep forever, rather than enjoy being the G.O.A.T. for only a few years on this earth.