"If you can touch it, you can catch it!"

I think I am an average athlete. As I age though, that notion does decline, but never the less I like to compete and have fun in all kinds of sports. Whether I would toss the football around or a Frisbee, I have this mantra. If I can touch the ball or disc, I should be able to catch it. I am currently catching about 38% of all things thrown my way. In baseball, hitting .380 would be great. In football dropping 62% of the passes would find me on the bench.

I can remember, as a teenager, my cousin and I would spend hours on the old township road, honing our skills at the sideline pass. We would keep our toes on the pavement and lean out of bounds to haul in passes and win some Super Bowl or something. With practice, we became the Lynn Swanns and the Drew Pearsons of Clearfield county. Never could figure how I had a friend who liked the Dallas Cowboys.....

I am also an armchair quarterback. There, I said it. When I'm watching a football game, I usually end up saying at least once throughout the game, "Oh, if you can touch the ball, you should be able to catch it!" This clamoring is usually in response to a receiver or defensive back having the ball sail right through their hands. As I grumble a bit more, I'll usually say, "Man, you are getting paid millions of dollars to make plays....CATCH THE BALL!" "Haul it in." "Squeeze it." "Make the play!" Fact is, if I were in the same situation, the ball would have sailed right through my hands too.... For clarification:

Arm Chair Quarterback - one who thinks they can do better than the actual professionals on the field.

In the words of Dirty Harry, "A man needs to know his limitations." I am not a professional football player. I am an ordinary fan who thinks he knows better. He does not. Instead of thinking I can make plays from the comfort of my living room, I need to stick to the area of training and place of practice I do know a little bit about.

Here is what I do know that might be helpful to you. I know we have a God who loves us and offers us grace through His Son Jesus Christ (John 3:16-17). I know that we have direct access to our God and Heavenly Father by way of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 4). I know this relationship is possible only because of God's grace and I know that God desires we come to our senses (Luke 15:17) in order to enjoy this bond. If I can use a sports term here, "We have this 'Jesus gift' on the tips of our fingers." The author of Hebrews understood the importance of grasping Christ and holding onto Him.

Hebrews four is a constant reminder of Jesus Christ being present and able to understand our failures. It is the only solution that makes sense in regards to our sin and failure. God became human to demonstrate both divinity and humanity. God is both immanent and intimate, both immeasurable and yet close enough to embrace.

Take a look.....

Because we are made aware of God's goodness in His Word, we literally have Jesus in our grasp. It is time to squeeze Him and embrace His love. Haul Him in. Make the play. "If you can touch Him, you can catch Him." The worst possible scenario for us would be to have the play right in front of us and have Jesus slip through our fingers. Somewhere, I just heard a pastor yell into the dark night, "If you can touch Jesus, you can catch Jesus!!!!"

Today, consider making a play that includes you embracing Jesus Christ as your Lord. Don't let Him slip through your fingers.