God's Coaching #289

God's Coaching #289

When Wayne Gretzky entered the National Hockey League (NHL) as a rookie in 1979, sportswriters said he was “too small, too wiry, and too slow to be a force.” But in just 11 seasons, Wayne became the greatest scorer in hockey history. On this day in 1989, newspapers around the world printed the headline “The Great One Now the Greatest.”

The night before, Wayne had led the Los Angeles Kings to a 5–4 overtime victory against the Edmonton Oilers. He entered the game with 1,849 points—just one point behind NHL all-time leading scorer Gordie Howe. Wayne picked up an assist on the game’s first goal to tie Gordie’s record. Then after sitting out much of the game with an injury, Wayne came onto the ice with three minutes left in the contest and the Kings trailing 4–3. With a minute remaining, Wayne beat everybody to a puck in front of the net and backhanded it in to tie the game and beat Gordie’s record. In overtime, Wayne scored another goal to give his team the win.

What’s the Score?

Wayne was called the “Great Gretzky” at a young age. Pretty soon everybody started calling him “The Great One.” By the time he retired at the end of the 1998–1999 season, Wayne held or shared 61 NHL records. He finished his career with 894 goals and 1,963 assists for a total of 2,857 points.

There’s no doubt that Wayne earned his nickname of “The Great One.” However, there’s only one truly “Great One,” and that’s God. God’s name is above all other names. In the book of Ezekiel, the prophet writes that one day God will show all the nations how holy his great name is. The truth is, God is coming back. When Jesus returns, he will rule over all the heavens and earth. The Bible says that every knee will bow to Jesus when he comes back in his full glory. Now that’s respect that the only “Great One” deserves.

On the Ball

What are some words that come to mind when you think about God? Write them down:

You might have written powerful, awesome, or mighty. Praise God for the power he shows today and the power he’ll display when he returns to earth.

Coach’s Comment

I will show how holy my great name is—the name on which you brought shame among the nations. And when I reveal my holiness through you before their very eyes, says the Sovereign LORD, then the nations will know that I am the LORD. Ezekiel 36:23