Scripture

Our verse for today comes from Psalm 118:22, “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.”

Background

Whether you follow sports or not, the professional drafts are an interesting stop on the sports calendar. The pro teams add to their roster of players by choosing from the best collegiate players who have made themselves available to become pros. Depending on the sport, there are a number of rounds of the draft, and each team gets one pick per round, unless other agreements have been made between teams to trade or swap picks. Drafted players are usually not guaranteed to make the team, but the earlier they are drafted, the more likely their chances. But some of the best players of our generation were some of the last players to be selected. Tom Brady, one of the best quarterbacks to ever play, was chosen in the 6th round as the 199th player drafted. Roger Staubach, a Hall of Fame quarterback who played in four Super Bowls with the Cowboys, was drafted in the 10th round as the 129th overall pick. Richard Dent, who won two Super Bowls as a defensive end for the Bears, retired with the 3rd most sacks ever after having been drafted as the 203rd player. Too often, what the experts say doesn’t always pan out to be right.

Application

The religious leaders in the days of Jesus had spent their lives studying the scriptures and knew the answers to all of His questions, but they missed the mark when it came time to accept or reject their Savior. All the research and analysis done by the sports experts doesn’t guarantee the right choices in the draft, either. As many great players as there were taken late in the draft, there are hundreds more selected early who didn’t turn out to be so good. Our culture today is saturated with experts and people who are overflowing with advice and opinions. But the follower of Jesus should not be swayed by the lure of the culture. Our lives should reflect the unchanging message of God’s immeasurable love and grace. Putting Him before all else doesn’t make many operating plans or yearly budgets in the business world, but it’s the only sure thing there is, even after 2,000 years.

Charge

As we seek Him today, examine which expert’s advice you are following. See if the Lord is directing your choices, or if you are choosing lesser gods to direct your paths.

Salvation – Eternal Life in Less Than 150 Words