“Bunker…” (by Mel McGuire)

I play golf. When you play golf, eventually you will find yourself in a bunker. As difficult as hitting a golf ball can be…it is a completely different task to escape a bunker.

A bunker is designed to slow your progress and normally you will lose distance when hitting out of a bunker. There are four things you should do to get out of a bunker.

First, you must bend your knees, get low and stay low through the shot. Second, you must open your club face, meaning point it more towards the sky. Third, you must use the sand to get the ball out. Finally, you must follow through on your swing.

These are the fundamentals of escaping a bunker and minimizing your damage. The spiritual parallels are amazingly similar for those times in our lives when we find ourselves in a bunker.

First we must bend our knees. Humble yourself and acknowledge your mistake(s). Pray and ask for forgiveness and stay low until you are safely out of trouble. This seems simple enough, but often times because we did not keep our head down on the prior swing…is the reason we landed in the bunker in the first place.

Second, we must turn our face skyward. The Psalmist said he will lift up his eyes to the hills where his help comes from, his help comes from the Lord. We must look to the Lord, His way, His word, for our help.

In golf, opening the club face adds loft, which makes it easier to get the ball up…which is necessary to clear the lip or edge of a bunker. Turning your face skyward allows you to lift your problem to the Lord.

Third we must not target the ball, but the sand that holds the ball. In golf, a good bunker player will aim a few inches behind the ball. They will hit the sand and use the sand to throw the ball out of trouble.

We are not fighting a natural battle, but a spiritual one. So the ball is not our problem, the sand is. So when we attack the sand, the situation or circumstance that is hindering us, we can actually use the circumstance to help get us out of trouble.

Changing our circumstance is a result of prayer, speaking God’s word, and changing our behaviors. When we do that, God can take that which our enemy meant for our detriment, and use it for our good. This is where testimonies begin…in the sand!

Finally, we must follow through with everything God says, so we can get out and stay out of trouble. Often time’s golfers are not convinced it will take a full swing, a hard swing, a complete swing to hit a golf ball just a few yards to escape trouble. So, they don’t commit, and stop the swing short…and leave themselves in the bunker.

So too, we as believers sometimes think, “it don’t take all that”, and we do not trust God to deliver us, so we do not follow through…and we find ourselves still trapped.

Get low, turn your face skyward, use the sand to your advantage, and follow through completely. Good golfers do not fear bunkers, nor should strong Christians fear traps, for they know, like a good golfer, there is a way to escape!

“Detour…” (by Mel McGuire)

A recent social media post said something to the effect that “A detour is not a dead end.” I was encouraged by those words as I reflected on my attitude about detours in general. See, I drive home from work at a time when the freeways are empty. Consequently I expect to arrive home in a timely manner.

However, for months now the freeways have been under construction, and from time to time, I have to take a detour. This of course adds to my commuting time, adds mileage to my car, and has been known to impact my sunny disposition.

But I am reminded that a detour is a good thing really, when you consider the alternative. Yes, they may be temporarily inconvenient, but they are designed to still get you to your destination safely.

The Lord then began ministering to me about the detours He has placed in my life. He specifically mentioned two different types; the first, a deviation from my current pace and direction that is solely and primarily for my protection. I understand with most detours, you have to do a couple of things…you must SEE THE SIGNS advising you of the detour.

You may or may not know the reason for the detour, but does it really matter? Should it matter? If the road is closed and unavailable, who cares if the bridge is out or if there are potholes? Either way you cannot cross safely and be certain to reach your destination (destiny).

Then you usually have to SLOW DOWN, and you probably will have to travel through an area with which you are not familiar, which normally causes us to pay closer attention to our surroundings.  Finally, you have to TRUST that the detour will eventually place you back on the proper route to reach your destination.

I thank God (now) for the detours He has used to keep me safe and on the right path.

The second detour He uses when I am on my own journey, doing my thing, my way, at my own pace and timing. He puts up roadblocks and detours that are designed to get me off of Selfish Boulevard and back on the King’s Highway. Detours intended to get me off the wide road and back on the straight and narrow. Directions to get me out of rush hour and back in the express lane of His plan and purpose for my life.

God uses people, churches, circumstances, and anything He needs to keep us on our journey. So instead of grumbling, and complaining about “added time” to your trip, rejoice that God is navigating your path. He is directing the traffic of your life to get you to your expected end, your destination…your destiny.

So when you see the signs, slow down, pay attention, and trust that He will not waste your time or lead you astray. Enjoy the journey, embrace the process, and be grateful for every detour, knowing that the end is still unchanged. He knows where you are going and He knows best how to get you there.