God's Coaching #47

God's Coaching #47

If you’re looking for real horsepower, try the sport of skijoring. It’s like cross-country skiing, but you get pulled by a horse. In 1928, skijoring made it into the Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, Switzerland, as a demonstration sport. It never made it back into the Games, but it’s still pretty cool.

The word skijoring literally means “ski driving.” But you can think of it as water skiing behind a horse on snow. You attach yourself to a harness, and a horse pulls you through the snow on skis. The sport started in Scandinavia using reindeer, then spread to Europe as an easy way for farmers to get around their land in winter.

People still skijor in Europe, and some want to bring it back to the Olympics. If you live in a cold, snowy climate, don’t be surprised if you see someone speeding by behind a horse or a dog. You can impress your friends by saying, “Hey, check it out—skijoring.”

What’s the Score?

In Bible times and even in more recent history, horses meant power. If your king had an army of horses, you could conquer and rule other nations. So the psalmist was making a big statement when he said God wasn’t impressed with the strength of horses or humans. Instead, “the LORD’s delight is in those who fear him, those who put their hope in his unfailing love” (Psalm 147:11).

God’s priority is on his love, and he wants that to be No. 1 for us, too. Where is your trust? Is it in your stuff: your money, toys, or gadgets? Could you give up all those things? There’s nothing necessarily wrong with having cool stuff (horses included), but it is wrong to rely on things instead of on God. Make sure the harness of your priorities is connected to the one and only true God.

On the Ball

What’s your most favorite game, gadget, or thing? Go without it for a day or—even better—a week. Talk to God when you feel like picking it up.

Coach’s Comment

He takes no pleasure in the strength of a horse or in human might. No, the LORD’s delight is in those who fear him, those who put their hope in his unfailing love. Psalm 147:10-11