They’re playing the Masters in Augusta this weekend and the rainy weather has made it challenging to say the least. They had a couple of trees topple over on the 17th hole Friday afternoon. Play was suspended and they had to finish Friday’s round on Saturday morning. Tiger Woods was one of those finishing his round and conditions weren’t great.
Neither was Tiger. He’s a shadow of what he used to be. He’s had four back surgeries. He suffered a compound fracture of his leg and shattered his ankle in a car accident a couple of years ago. It’s obvious at times he has trouble moving around. But nonetheless he was out there grinding, and all things considered, was playing well.
He had a long putt to make on the 18th hole to finish at 2 over par. As things stood, if he missed it, he wouldn’t qualify to play in the final two rounds. Putting in the rain from about 50 feet, the ball rolled by the hole by about a foot, and he finished with a score of 3 over par. He left the course obviously disappointed and probably a little discouraged.
But other people were having rough days as well. In fact, enough did so that if one more golfer went to 3 over par it would move the cut line from 2 over to 3 over. Justin Thomas, one of Tiger’s good friends, did just that. With the cut line now moved to 3 over, Woods was back in for the final two rounds.
There’s a couple of big lessons in that story. The first is, whether you’re playing golf or following Jesus, there will be times when the weather is good and you feel fine and times when the weather is rough and that matches the way you feel. You have to learn how to keep putting one foot in front of the other no what the circumstances might be.
The second lesson is that despite our best efforts, none of us are going to make it without some help along the way. Tiger needed J.T.’s help. Disciples need the help of others as well, but ultimately, we need God’s help if we’re going to finish the course.
The Hebrews writer tells us in 4:15-16:
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
In our time of need, we have help and hope from our Father!
A Taste of Grace with Bruce Green 