For Ragamuffins, God’s name is Mercy. We see our darkness as a prized possession because it drives us into the heart of God. —Brennan Manning, The Ragamuffin Gospel
I grew up in Milwaukee, and one of my childhood heroes was a guy named Jon McGlocklin. He played for the Bucks and was an NBA great. I know Jon, and one day he said, “Pete, I’ve got a game going on down at the gym. Come join us.”
I was so excited. I went down to the gym, laced up my shoes, and gazed upon a court full of high-end college players and former NBAers. It was such a cool game—until Jon faked me out. I was young and cocky, and I’d chosen to guard Jon myself until I drove my finger right into his eye, all the way up to the knuckle. His eye swelled up, and he was rushed to the hospital.
But before that moment, I was playing with all of these great guys, thinking, How did I end up here?
The answer was Jon’s mercy.
Yesterday, we said God’s will is more like a basketball court than a tightrope. There are in-bounds decisions and out-of-bounds decisions. God knows all the inbound plays for our life—and we can know them too. But first, we must know that His mercy gets us on the court.
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. (Romans 12:1a)
We step onto the court and live in Christ through God’s mercy. But does God leave us alone on the court? No! We have an incredible coach—the inner voice of the Spirit gives us the rundown on inbounds decisions.
This week, we want to know how to hear God’s voice so we can discover His best for our lives. To help us out, we’re going to ask four questions that, if answered honestly, will help us determine our next best choice.
So, question number one: Am I on the court?
If you’ve trusted Jesus, the answer is yes. You’re on the court, and His inner voice indwells you. You’ve got all you need.
Lord, Your voice is as audible to me as a coach’s voice is to his or her players! Thank you for the court of mercy and the invitation to be on Your team. Amen.
Learn more by listening to Pete’s 2-part series called, Hearing the Holy Spirit’s Voice.