until the whole world hears

The Lord is near all who call out to Him,

all who call out to Him with integrity.

Psalm 145:18

Thursday evenings find me at soccer practice this fall.  Not only are both my boys playing on teams, I am the assistant coach of a team, too.  This week, our head coach was away. Insert me running practice.

In the middle of practice we huddle up for team devotions.  Sometimes it's very challenging to keep the team's attention during these few moments...distractions are abundant outside in the middle of a field.  Trains, kids, adults, bugs, grass...even the moon, I found out this night...can distract little minds.

I had forgotten my coaches' book (Shh! Don't tell anybody!), but knew the verse dealt with authority.  Trying to load up the book on my phone, we began discussing what authority is and who is in authority over us.  We had began this discussion last week, so we just built upon what we had talked about last week.  

We discussed how it is important to follow the authority over us...why there is a need for authority...and how the guidelines set by authorities are for our good.  We went on to establish that God is our ultimate authority and the Bible is His Word that gives us both knowledge of who He is and guidelines on how to live a life glorifying to Him.  

In these few minutes, their attentions were no longer scattered.  

God was moving among us in our little huddle of 7.

Continuing to build on authority, the kids agreed with me that rules and guidelines are set for us out of love, not out of meanness.  We also agreed that it is difficult at times to obey the rules set for us when our parents or other authority figure is not around to see us and what we are doing.  We should obey even though they aren't there to make us help remind us of what we should do.  This led to discussing God's omnipresence.  (I used the dime words with the kids, not the dollar word.)

One little boy asked, "God can see me if I hide under my covers?"

"Yes," I said, "He's everywhere with us."

One little girl, eyes open wide with curiosity, asked with surprise and amazement "God can see us even if we hide under something?!?" 

I was then reminded that even in the middle of soccer practice, God wants the truth of Him and His Word to be known by all and it's a blessing to be able to speak the Truth into young, impressionable hearts.  

I am humbled at being given the opportunity to be used to share His truth in this way.
Sometimes, the part of the world that needs to hear the Truth is in the middle of the soccer field in your very own community.

Where can I go to escape Your Spirit?

Where can I flee from Your presence?

If I go up to heaven, You are there;

if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there.

If I live at the eastern horizon

or settle at the western limits,

even there Your hand will lead me;

Your right hand will hold on to me.

Psalm 139:7-10