Miss The Mark

It was a catch up kind of morning.
I saw a few neighbors on my morning walk that I have not seen in a while.
Busyness and vacation have kept us on different schedules, it seems.

One neighbor was pulling out of his driveway as I was passing.
They are having work done around their house…a pool installed, fencing, and landscaping.
It looks lovely and I told him so.

This neighbor was a former golf pro.
A knee injury forced him off the golf circuit.
He is now the men’s golf coach for a large university.
He enjoys working with the young golfers.
I know that they glean much from his expertise.

When their yard is finished, he will have a small driving range.
There is enough land to accommodate it, and it is something he always wanted to do.

We have a basketball court on our driveway.
There is a wooded area between our house and another neighbor.
The basketball tends to go into the woods when someone misses a shot.

My golfing neighbor has woods along the back of his property.
I asked him a relevant question.
What kind of barrier will you put up so that the golf balls will not go into the woods?

Without missing a beat, he got a twinkle in his eye.
When I drive a golf ball, it never goes into the woods!

We both laughed so hard at his quick remark!
He is probably right.
He probably rarely misses the mark.

Of course, he was talking to someone who has never graduated beyond miniature golf.
A hole in one is a big event for me!
The possible free game on the last hole has happened once in my life!

There are people who love golf!
I don’t quite understand the attraction.

Years ago my husband was attending a business conference at a major university.
I was able to go and be with him for the weekend.
My husband is not a golfer but there was some sort of golf outing planned.
I was arriving as the outing was about to start.

Not a fan of being out in the sun, or a fan of golf, I thought I could just watch.
A gentleman came over to me and asked if I was golfing.
I told him that I was only there to watch my husband.
He told me I had to leave…only golfers were allowed on the green.

There was nothing anyone could do.
I was politely escorted off the golf course in a golf cart.
Hours later my husband returned, full of apologies.

I thought of my neighbor’s remark.
When I drive a golf ball, it never goes into the woods!
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we all could say that?

This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God… (Romans 3:23)

Sin is often described as missing the mark.
God has demanded absolute perfection.
No matter how we measure ourselves, we fall short.

An archer aims at a target, only to have the arrow fall to the ground.
He can’t make the bulls-eye.
His arrow falls short.
We are like that archer.

We try our best, but our best falls short of the perfect standard God has set.
We are unable to meet God’s standard of holiness on our own.
This would be a hopeless scenario for us, unless God provided a Way.

The Incarnate Son of God took on flesh.
He left His Heavenly Home and came to earth as a baby.
He lived the sinless life that we are unable to live.

Jesus hit the bulls-eye.
Jesus made the mark.

Jesus did all that was impossible for us to do on our own.
God met the demands of His own holiness by providing Himself as atonement.
The wrath of God was satisfied in the death of Jesus on the cross.

Jesus was our Substitute when He took our place on the cross.
God the Father showed that His wrath was satisfied, when He raised Jesus from the dead.
In Jesus’ death and resurrection, we have life.

A sinless Substitute took the place of a sinner on that cross.
When we believe in Jesus’ finished work on the cross, and trust in Him alone…knowing that anything we do falls short of God’s standards…we have salvation.

We continue to sin every day.
We continue to miss the mark.
As believers, through the Holy Spirit, we have the conviction of sin.
We repent…we ask for forgiveness.

He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
(1 John 1:9)

There is only one Person who could truly say that He never missed the mark!
That Person is Jesus…our sinless Substitute.

Because Jesus hit the bulls-eye with His perfect life, it is like we did as well.
When we believe, we are justified.

What a wonderful word…JUSTIFIED.
JUSTIFIED: Just as if we never sinned.

No golf balls in the woods.
No arrows on the ground.
Forgiveness through Jesus Christ…who made the mark every time.