God's Coaching #106

God's Coaching #106

For 25 years, Jack Nicklaus had been one of the biggest names in golf. Note the words “had been.” Known as “The Golden Bear,” Jack had won 17 major championships. But when he entered the 1986 Masters in Augusta, Georgia, many felt the legend’s career was over. He was 46 years old and hadn’t won a tournament in six years. But in just four days, Jack proved he wasn’t a “has-been.”

Heading into the final round, Jack trailed the leaders by four strokes. On the first eight holes, he missed putts of 20, 18, 5, 22, and 10 feet. Jack was frustrated and five strokes behind the leaders. Yet he knew he had to trust his putter. On the ninth hole, he sank an 11-foot birdie. He birdied the 10th and then nailed a 25-foot birdie putt on hole 11. On the 15th hole, Jack had a 12-foot putt for eagle. He had seen this exact putt in the 1975 Masters and missed it. “It’s not what it looks like,” Jack told his son and caddy, Jack Jr., before sinking the shot.

Just one stroke behind, Jack birdied the 16th and set himself up for an 11-foot birdie on hole 17. “This putt is impossible to read,” Jack said to his son. Jack tapped the ball on the tricky downhill putt, having faith that it would go in. The ball wiggled right, shimmied left, and dropped into the hole. Jack was in the lead. His score of 65 on the last day made him the oldest Masters champion of all time!

What’s the Score?

For 25 years, Jack amazed fans with his golfing abilities. But at the 1986 Masters, it was his faith that pulled him through. He knew he couldn’t count on his eyes to read the greens and make putts. Jack had played at Augusta National so many times that he relied on faith to sink seemingly impossible putts at incredibly stressful times.

During your life, you’ll find yourself in stressful situations. Sometimes you won’t be able to see a solution to your problems. At those times, you need to live by faith, not by sight. Have faith that God can help you. Trust in things you cannot see. The Bible says there’s a spiritual, unseen world that’s so much more important than the world we live in. Keep an eternal perspective, and pray for godly wisdom as you try to read the difficult putts in life.

On the Ball

Have faith in what you cannot see. God is always with you to help you navigate tricky situations.

Coach’s Comment

We live by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV)