2/11/13

Reader’s Digest wrote of the late Harvey Penick: “For 90-year-old golf pro Harvey Penick, success has come late.  His first golf book, Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book, has sold more than a million copies, which his publisher believes makes it one of the biggest things in the history of sports books.  His second book, And If You Play Golf, You’re My Friend, has already sold nearly three-quarters of a million copies.”

But anyone who imagines Penick wrote the books to make money doesn’t know the man.  In the 1920’s Penick bought a red spiral notebook and began jotting down observations about golf.  He never showed it to anyone except his son until 1991, when he shared it with a local writer/friend and asked if he thought it was worth publishing.  The man read it and told him yes.  He left word with Penick’s wife the next evening that Simon and Schuster had agreed to an advance of $90,000.  When the man saw Penick later, the old man seemed troubled.  Finally Penick came clean.  “With all our medical bills,” he said, “there is no way we could advance Simon and Schuster that much money.”  The writer had to explain to Penick that he would be the one to receive the $90,000.

People often have Penick’s reaction to the lavish gift of forgiveness and salvation offered in Jesus Christ.  We ask, “What must I do?”  God answers, “It’s already been done.  Just believe it and receive it.”

Pray with me… Father, thank You so much for the ‘whoevers’ in Your Word.  “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”  And, “Whoever believes in Jesus shall not perish but have everlasting life.”  “Whoever will come to the Waters of Life and drink deeply.”  Thank you for loving us first and sending Jesus to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins… and not for our sins only but also the sins of the whole world.  We are free indeed.  In the name of the Son, even Jesus, we pray.  Amen

Blessings,
Pastor Ken