As the second year of RCC is well under way, it is clear that Satan will not tolerate a good thing too long. He is a master craftsman at devising schemes, addictions, even doubts that can cause fear and intimidation in the lives of many. Often I wonder if it is worth the fight. Then I am drawn to a story like that of Cave City, Arkansas football player Thamail Morgan. He is an amazing football player who, during his junior year, received numerous scholarship offers from many Division 1 schools. Then ... he messed up. Satan distracted him long enough to lose his right to play football for his prestigious high school team and ... in the process ... lose those scholarships. That's when he was allowed to transfer to Cave City and at least have the hope of playing for this well-hidden team.
A couple of weeks ago, Cave City played Yalleville-Summit ... a co-op team that has so few players, the coach brings extra uniforms to the game - I suppose just in case he needs to pull someone from the stands. Late in their game, with Cave City clearly in the lead - Yalleville-Summit scored and then, surprising everyone, kicked off to Thamail Morgan. Thamail ran, as he nearly always did, through the pack and into the open field and prepared for one more touchdown. And then, inexplicably, he stopped.
He stopped at the two-yard line - backed up a few steps to the five and knelt down ... choosing to end the game there rather than score one more unnecessary touchdown.
Satan would have said ... go ahead ... rub their noses in it ... you deserve to score again. However, I think, Thamail realized that enough was enough and it was time for him to stand up and do the right thing ... or in this case, kneel and do the right thing.
I suppose the point is this ... we all have our own choices to make. We can choose to allow Satan to call the shots and constantly get us in trouble ... or we can take a knee and allow God to be glorified.
And sometimes ... that is not the popular thing to do.
