It took a moment for David Colby to figure out what the fuss was about. David is an amateur golfer who was playing at the CareerBuilder Challenge in Palm Springs. He had just teed off on a par 3 at the 17th when he heard loud cheering and applause from the gallery…a hole-in-one!
To say the least, the look on Colby’s face was amusing. If it had been my shot, they would have been cheering because I made it on the green! Instead, Colby got a hole-in-one and won a car at the same time.
The reason Colby was clueless about his shot was the topography of the hole. He was hitting into an area where he couldn’t see the green. But there was no doubt. Why? The applause of the crowd.
There are a couple of great lessons I like from Colby’s experience:
#1, “I’ll believe it when I see it” attitudes rule those who choose to deny God, but in all other areas of life, people accept far less data than scripture provides. Colby heard applause, his caddy gave him a high-five, and a tournament director told him he won a car. He accepted, as fact, all of this, without having seen it. Why? Reliable testimony.
#2, He knew he had victory because of the applause of the crowd. Many were cheering for him. They were happy to see him succeed. Also, a hole-in-one is a rare feat in golf, and many were glad to have witnessed the shot.
The Bible teaches both lessons:
#1, Faith is the “assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Seeing isn’t the only way of believing. The evidence, nevertheless, is there.
#2, Hebrews 12:1 teaches that great acts of faith, by the faithful who have gone on before us, continue to cheer us on. They remind us to remain faithful, even unto death.
Listen. Can you hear the cheering? We overcome in Him. A hole-in-one may win you a car, but remaining faithful leads to an eternal crown of righteousness. Our victory is in Jesus!
