– – – because They belong to Me!

Sitting down on the bench and watching my kids play sport is something I enjoy to do. I sometimes choose to stand than sit.

Do I shout and scream? You better believe it! The funny thing is I sometimes shout saying things like, “Don’t let them pass you!” Or “Kick the ball!” And my Berhan whispers in my ears saying, “They can’t kick the ball in that position.”

What position is that? The thing is I don’t get all the rules and regulations soccer game has! All I know is points have to be made for my kid’s team to win. And as far as I’m concerned, they have to push the ball to the goal whichever way they have to.

Last week, my youngest son’s team lost four to one. “That is not good” you may say, but for me, I was more than happy. Do you know why? Well, it was my son who made that one goal. You can’t believe how happy I was.

Last Monday, after I flew back from Minnesota, I directly went to my older son’s Junior Varsity soccer game. My! My! My! That is what I’m talking about! That was the GAME! They won seven to one!

I’m not lying when I say this but throughout the game, I didn’t see any of the players except my son. If he turned towards to the side I was sitting, I ran to him holding cool Gatorade and water bottles on my hands, thinking he might be thirsty. I was on a “stand by” mode to take care of my son’s needs so that he would stay on “the game”.

Sitting on a side, watching my older son play, I heard his coach calling my son’s name and saying, “Nice move! Nice move!” I didn’t even notice “the move” the coach referring to but I clapped for my son and looked around to see if other parents have noticed my son’s “move”.

Oh, how I love watching my kids play! I love seeing their teams win! Why? Because they are my kids! They belong to me! They are mine! They are my little ones! Their victory is my victory! Their joy is my joy! And their loss is also my loss!

So, last Monday, thinking how happy I was seeing my son’s team win, all of a sudden, I began to see myself “doing” life on this side of heaven and my God watching all my "doings". I felt like my God was watching, cheering and clapping for me when I made “a goal.” When I turned down an invitation to sin against my God, I saw my God standing and clapping for me. I saw Him looking around to see if someone had noticed His daughter turning the invitation down and making “the goal” in the enemy’s team.

Why? Because I’m His daughter and He is my Dad! I belong to Him and He belongs to me! My joy is His joy! My sadness is His sadness!

Then I realized at that moment that my God loves watching me do life. God watches over me 24/7. If I am in need, He is there to provide for me so that I stay on “the game” of life and bring Him all the glory and praise!

I can’t tell you how comforting for me to know that God watches over me 24/7 because sometimes I feel like I’m doing life all alone, fighting my enemy all by myself! But the truth of the matter is I’m not alone! God is with me.

The Bible says,

“ The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.” (Psalms 121:5-8)

Yes, you and I belong to God because we belong to Jesus Christ! Because we belong to Him, God watches over us 24/7. He claps for us when we say “No” to sin! He rejoices with us when you and I make a “goal,” walk in righteousness and inherit the peace and joy He promised to give to us! And our God gets hurt when we choose to sin against Him because He knows that sin hurts us really bad!

Did Satan convince you that you are all alone, no one to watch over you? Don’t listen to him anymore. He is a liar! You are not alone! God is with you and in you! He watches over you! Don’t live in sin as if you had no God! You have a powerful God in your team! He is there to help you to say “No” to sin. Get up, stay in the game, make a goal and bring to your God all the glory and praise! ///