College Bound
Greetings in the Lord!
This week are the big games for the men's and women's basketball NCAA Final Four and I couldn't be more excited. While I was reading up on the scouting reports and headlines I came across an interesting article about the men's teams: Duke and Butler. As it turns out, a majority of the top players for these teams are white guys...which is fairly unusual. In fact, it's downright odd. It is estimated that of all the Division I college basketball teams only about 32% are white; and of that who really knows the percentage that actually have major roles on their teams.
Therefore I was all the more interested in the article to read what the top white players for these teams had to say on the issue of race. Butler's top guard said he first experienced racial discrimination/intimidation when he was in high school playing in the AAU leagues. The coach from the other all-black team kept yelling, "Get the white kid!" all game. After that he was ridiculed for saying he wanted to play basketball professionally; after all, he was just a scrawny white kid.
Last July I was refereeing some basketball games in the regional AAU tournament in Denver and the Lord drew my attention to the arrogant attitudes of the talented black players on the court at the time, and even more so to their coaches who fostered and modeled that same prideful and hate-filled attitude.
The Lord said, "The time has changed. Those coaches, the ones who teach and encourage an arrogant and disrespectful attitude and have racial preference in their hearts will be costing these boys college scholarships. This year there will many white players to get scholarships and have success on the court--so much so that it will be a sign to the black community to change their attitudes. Their talent (the black kids) is not their own and they must begin to live with integrity and humility or watch as they are bypassed for college scholarships."
I also understood that it was about integrity in general, not the fact of white over black, but humility over pride. Any player that was prideful and disrespectful would reap the consequences of those weeds. However, the pride and racial hatred issue is a huge problem in the black community so I assume that was why the Lord drew my attention to that AAU game. I also discerned the word to be a promise and warning to the righteous, to those players who act right because they know it is the right way to act but have not seen rewards for their goodness--don't give in and act like the prideful, you're reward is coming!
"Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills.
Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence. From their callous hearts comes iniquity; the evil conceits of their minds have no limits. They scoff, and speak with malice; in their arrogance they threaten oppression.
Their mouths lay claim to heaven, and their tongues take possession of the earth. Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance....Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain I have washed my hands in innocence...
When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. Surely You place them on slippery ground; You cast them down to ruin...Yet I am always with You; You hold me by my right hand...Those who are far from You will perish; You destroy all who are unfaithful to You. But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all Your deeds."
It is a reminder to the righteous that our dedication to the Lord, our trusting in Him to promote us and give us success even when it looks like the prideful and dishonest are prospering more than us will be rewarded if we faint not. God has allotted joy and promotion for the righteous. Be happy and thankful that we serve a good God, a just God and fret not over evil doers or envy their "success."
~Be blessed and be a blessing.
This week are the big games for the men's and women's basketball NCAA Final Four and I couldn't be more excited. While I was reading up on the scouting reports and headlines I came across an interesting article about the men's teams: Duke and Butler. As it turns out, a majority of the top players for these teams are white guys...which is fairly unusual. In fact, it's downright odd. It is estimated that of all the Division I college basketball teams only about 32% are white; and of that who really knows the percentage that actually have major roles on their teams.
Therefore I was all the more interested in the article to read what the top white players for these teams had to say on the issue of race. Butler's top guard said he first experienced racial discrimination/intimidation when he was in high school playing in the AAU leagues. The coach from the other all-black team kept yelling, "Get the white kid!" all game. After that he was ridiculed for saying he wanted to play basketball professionally; after all, he was just a scrawny white kid.
Last July I was refereeing some basketball games in the regional AAU tournament in Denver and the Lord drew my attention to the arrogant attitudes of the talented black players on the court at the time, and even more so to their coaches who fostered and modeled that same prideful and hate-filled attitude.
The Lord said, "The time has changed. Those coaches, the ones who teach and encourage an arrogant and disrespectful attitude and have racial preference in their hearts will be costing these boys college scholarships. This year there will many white players to get scholarships and have success on the court--so much so that it will be a sign to the black community to change their attitudes. Their talent (the black kids) is not their own and they must begin to live with integrity and humility or watch as they are bypassed for college scholarships."
I also understood that it was about integrity in general, not the fact of white over black, but humility over pride. Any player that was prideful and disrespectful would reap the consequences of those weeds. However, the pride and racial hatred issue is a huge problem in the black community so I assume that was why the Lord drew my attention to that AAU game. I also discerned the word to be a promise and warning to the righteous, to those players who act right because they know it is the right way to act but have not seen rewards for their goodness--don't give in and act like the prideful, you're reward is coming!
"Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills.
Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence. From their callous hearts comes iniquity; the evil conceits of their minds have no limits. They scoff, and speak with malice; in their arrogance they threaten oppression.
Their mouths lay claim to heaven, and their tongues take possession of the earth. Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance....Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain I have washed my hands in innocence...
When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. Surely You place them on slippery ground; You cast them down to ruin...Yet I am always with You; You hold me by my right hand...Those who are far from You will perish; You destroy all who are unfaithful to You. But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all Your deeds."
It is a reminder to the righteous that our dedication to the Lord, our trusting in Him to promote us and give us success even when it looks like the prideful and dishonest are prospering more than us will be rewarded if we faint not. God has allotted joy and promotion for the righteous. Be happy and thankful that we serve a good God, a just God and fret not over evil doers or envy their "success."
~Be blessed and be a blessing.
Comments