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Who Dropped the Ball?

by Jerry Ousley  
2/08/2024 / Christian Living

Who Dropped the Ball?

by Jerry D. Ousley

 

In the game of basketball, we find ten players racing down the court, one team trying to protect their player who furiously dribbles the ball as he or she runs. The five members on the opposing team have one thing on their mind - to stop the other team from making a basket and scoring, then gain control of the ball and turn all ten players racing to the other end of the court.  Occasionally, the player with the ball will fumble, dropping the ball from their control and then there is a struggle by both teams to gain control of it.

 

In today’s world we use that terminology whenever we “mess up” and lose control of whatever we are doing. It could be losing a sale to a salesperson. It could be failing in some way with our children, or a host of other things. When it happens, we may use those words exclaiming, “Who dropped the ball?”

 

The book of Deuteronomy records a rehearing of the Law God gave to Moses on Mount Sinai and in chapters 11 and 12 they are specifically told to teach it without fail to their children. They were to wear it on their foreheads and to bind it in the tassels of their garments. They were to write it over the doorposts of their homes. In other words, they were to continually tell their children about their wonderful, holy God.

However, in the book of Judges 2:10 it says, “When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the LORD nor the work which He had done for Israel.” Huh? How did that happen? Who dropped the ball?

 

Of course, those of the new generation were responsible for their decisions. They should have questioned why they were to obey the Law. They should have talked with their parents about the stories they heard the old men tell.

 

But just as shocking to me is that, had their parents taught their children as they were told to do, this new generation would have known. But in only one generation they went from obedience to full rejection. If this doesn’t alarm you, if this doesn’t grab your attention in shocked concern, then I’m concerned. I’m concerned that if we aren’t shocked by what happened then, that we will, in a lack of concern, allow it to happen now.

 

But to our horror it is happening now. Despite the way God has so mightily used our nation as a great missionary nation, sending those with the gospel message into all the world to win souls for Christ, we are now seeing a generation who largely does not know just who God is. Our public schools are turning out a generation of kids who believe that the Bible is just a book of cleverly written fairy tales put together by men in attempt to control people. They don’t believe in God and will plainly tell you to get out of their face. I know there are exceptions and “praise the Lord” for those exceptions. But they are few in comparison of those who don’t believe.

 

Many of our local congregations have begun putting more emphasis in their worship services on lights, smoke and entertainment. Let me say that I am all for using every tool that is legal and not against the word of God for the spreading of the gospel. But when the sound and the show is more important than leading people to true, heartfelt worship then we may be guilty of promoting man before God.

 

This is not popular. It goes against the grain. “Get with the program, Jerry!” Rather “Get with the gospel Church!” Without realizing what he was saying, a few years ago, former president Barak Obama made the statement that we are no longer a Christian nation. He said this to emphasis that our nation is now made up of different religions and beliefs and suggesting that we embrace them, soften our own religious stance and keep quiet in respect of them. However, prophetically God used him to let us know that our great missionary nation has now become the mission field.

 

Many of our congregations have made allowances accepting those caught up in immorality. Yes, we should allow all into our presence. How else will we win them for the Lord? But when we let them think that they are okay with God in their sin then we are promoting a generation that does not know God.

 

Think about it. Pray about it. Read about it in the scripture. Christians, tell your children. Look inside yourself and let’s not be guilty of dropping the ball.

Jerry D. Ousley is the author of ?Soul Challenge?, ?Soul Journey?, ?Ordeal?, ?The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional and his first novel ?The Shoe Tree.? Visit our website at spiritbread.com to download these and more completely free of charge.

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